Influence of flake thickness on the shape and distribution of Al2O3 particles in Al matrix composites fabricated by flake powder metallurgy

Microstructure of in situ Al2O3/Al composites fabricated by flake powder metallurgy (FPM) has been characterized in the current paper. The coarsening behavior of the ball-milled Al flake powders is influenced greatly by the thickness of the flakes, which in turn affects the shape and distribution of the Al2O3 reinforcement particles within the Al2O3/Al composites. Intragranular Al2O3 nanoparticles with a lamellar shape in the Al matrix could be obtained by the FPM method through refining the thickness of the ball-milled Al flakes.