Aluminium based composites strengthened with metallic amorphous phase or ceramic (Al2O3) particles

Two methods were used to obtain amorphous aluminium alloy powder: gas atomization and melt spinning. The sprayed powder contained only a small amount of the amorphous phase and therefore bulk composites were prepared by hot pressing of aluminium powder with the 10% addition of ball milled melt spun ribbons of the Al₈₄Ni₆V₅Zr₅ alloy (numbers indicate at.%). The properties were compared with those of a composite containing a 10% addition of Al₂O₃ ceramic particles. Additionally, a composite based on 2618A Al alloy was prepared with the addition of the Al₈₄Ni₆V₅Zr₅ powder from the ribbons used as the strengthening phase. X-ray studies confirmed the presence of the amorphous phase with a small amount of aluminium solid solution in the melt spun ribbons. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) studies showed the start of the crystallization process of the amorphous ribbons at 437 °C. The composite samples were obtained in the process of uniaxial hot pressing in a vacuum at 380 °C, below the crystallization temperature of the amorphous phase. A uniform distribution of both metallic and ceramic strengthening phases was observed in the composites. The hardness of all the prepared composites was comparable and amounted to approximately 50 HV for those with the Al matrix and 120 HV for the ones with the 2618A alloy matrix. The composites showed a higher yield stress than the hot pressed aluminium or 2618A alloy. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) studies after compression tests revealed that the propagation of cracks in the composites strengthened with the amorphous phase shows a different character than these with ceramic particles. In the composite strengthened with the Al₂O₃ particles cracks have the tendency to propagate at the interfaces of Al/ceramic particles more often than at the amorphous/Al interfaces.