Heat-resistant bulk nanostructured P/M aluminium

In this work, a simple route to produce bulk nanostructured aluminium is presented. Firstly, a thermally stable nanocomposite Al powder is prepared by attrition milling of elemental Al in the presence of 2.1 wt.% urea. Then, the milled powder is consolidated to full density by a conventional press-and-sinter powder metallurgy (P/M) technique. Shaped specimens possess a stable microstructure, with a grain size of about 150 nm, and the ultimate tensile strength (550 MPa) surpasses that of most commercial Al alloys, especially at high temperatures.