Comparison of nanostructured Al/B4C composite produced by ARB and Al/B4C composite produced by RRB process

In the present study, Al/B4C composites were produced and compared in the form of sheets, through accumulative roll bonding (ARB) and repeated roll bonding (RRB) processes. The microstructure of the composites fabricated by both the methods, revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), showed the B4C particles properly distributed in the aluminum matrix. The average grain size of the ARB processed composite was about 186 nm by linear intercept method, based on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations. Mechanical properties of the Al/B4C composites produced by two methods were investigated by tensile and hardness tests. The results showed that the tensile strength and hardness of the ARB and RRB processed composites increase with the number of cycles. However, the tensile strength and hardness of the ARB processed composite are much higher than those of the RRB processed composite. The tensile test results revealed that the elongation of the ARB processed composite is lower than that of the RRB processed composite.

Research highlights▶ The SEM microstructures revealed the well distributed B4C particles in the aluminum matrix for both the composites. ▶ The TEM analysis showed the nanostructured Al/B4C composite was produced by the ARB process successfully. ▶ The ductility (elongation) of the RRB processed composite is higher than that of the ARB processed composite. ▶ The microhardness of the ARB processed composite is higher than that of the RRB processed composite.