Microstructure and mechanical properties of bulk nanocrystalline Al88Mm5Ni5Fe2 alloy consolidated at high pressure

Bulk nanocrystalline Al88Mm5Ni5Fe2 alloys have been produced by consolidation of pulverised melt-spun ribbons at high pressure. Different production procedures were explored to improve the quality of compaction of the resulting bulk samples. Quality of compaction of samples pressed at room temperature is clearly improved by increasing applied pressure from 2 to 7.7 GPa. All hot compacted samples had good quality of compaction. Onset of crystallisation shifts to higher temperatures as the applied pressure increases. Nanocrystalline powder fails to be compacted at room temperature even at 7.7 GPa. Mechanical properties were studied in terms of Vickers' microhardness. Relationship between microhardness and microstructure of the bulk samples was studied in the frame of two different theoretical models.