Mechanical behavior of devitrified ultrafine-grained Al–4.0Y–4.0Ni–0.9Co matrix composites

Addition of SiC particulates to a high-strength Al–4.0Y–4.0Ni–0.9Co alloy resulted in enhanced transverse tensile strength in the as-extruded condition due to the breaking up of the prior particle boundaries. However, the room temperature compressive strength of reinforced composite was lower than that of unreinforced alloy because of cavity formation at the SiC particle/matrix interface. The ductility of the composite can be improved by elevated temperature forging with higher processing strain due to the homogenization of SiC particle distribution.