Microstructural features, texture and strengthening mechanisms of nanostructured AA6063 alloy processed by powder metallurgy

► Nanostructured AA6063 (NS-Al) alloy contains Cu and P texture components. ► The microstructure consists of nano-size grains and ultrafine grains (200-400 nm). ► NS-Al exhibits a lower work hardening compared to coarse-grained Al alloy. ► Grain boundary strengthening mechanism plays an important role for NS-Al.