Fabrication of nanostructure Al/SiCP composite by accumulative roll-bonding (ARB) process

In the present study, a new manufacturing process for Al–SiCP composites was developed by using bulk aluminum sheets and micron sized SiC particles as starting materials. Nanostructured Al–SiCP composites with average grain size of 180 nm were successfully produced in the form of sheets, through accumulative roll bonding (ARB), at room temperature. To evaluate microstructure of the produced composites, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were applied. The microstructure of the fabricated composites revealed properly distributed SiC particles in the aluminum matrix. Mechanical properties of the Al–SiCP composites were investigated by the tensile test. The results proved that by increasing ARB cycles the tensile strength of the produced composites increases, but their ductility at first decreases and then increases.