Structural evaluation and mechanical properties of nanostructured Al/B4C composite fabricated by ARB process

Nanostructured Al/B4C composites with an average grain size of 151 nm were successfully fabricated in the form of sheets, by using accumulative roll bonding (ARB) process. Furthermore, monolithic Al (without B4C particles) also was processed by the same method for comparison. The microstructure of the composites, evaluated by optical and scanning electron microscopy, revealed the properly distributed B4C particles in the Al matrix. The grain size of the Al matrix, after the final ARB cycle, is studied using Williamson–Hall analysis of X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the deformed sample. Mechanical properties of the specimens were investigated by tensile and hardness tests. The tensile strength and microhardness of the processed samples increased with increasing the number of ARB cycle. Whereas, the elongation dropped abruptly at the first cycle; afterwards, it remained nearly constant in the monolithic samples and increased slightly in the composites.