Microstructure and mechanical properties of aluminum–fullerene composite fabricated by high pressure torsion

An Al-based composite containing fullerene (a mixture of C60 and C70) was fabricated using a process of severe plastic deformation through high pressure torsion (HPT) for the first time. Neither heating nor sintering was required during the HPT process, so in situ consolidation was successfully achieved at ambient temperature. Vickers microhardness reached almost 120 Hv, the composite had a tensile strength of more than 253 MPa with 0.18 nominal strain, and the grain size was reduced to ∼80 nm.