Characterization of Al-Al4C3 nanocomposites produced by mechanical milling

In this work, a mixture of Al-C-Al4C3 nanopowder previously synthesized by mechanical milling and subsequent thermal treatment was used to reinforce the Al matrix. The nanocomposites were fabricated via high-energy ball milling and subsequent sintering process for different periods of time at 550 °C. Hardness and compression tests were performed to evaluate the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites in the as-milled and sintered conditions. According to the results the reinforcement located in the grain boundaries is responsible for the brittle behavior observed in the nanocomposites during the compression test. The combined effect of sintering and precipitation mechanisms produced an evident increase of the strength of the Al matrix at a relatively short sintering time. By using the Rietveld method the crystallite size and microstrain measurements were determined and correlated with the microhardness values. For the proper characterization of the nanoparticles present in the Al matrix, atomic force microscopy and high resolution electron microscopy were used.