?Bulk Al based nanostructured alloys and composites- a step change in performance?

M GALANO

Seminario; Seminar Series- Sheffield Hallam; 2013

The energy and environmental demands that are being introduced in the recent years require the development of vehicles with lower weight, greater efficiency and reduced emissions. Thus there is a demand for the development of new alloys with a step-change in performance in respect of strength and toughness at ambient and elevated temperatures but radical change can occur when a new class of alloy is introduced that allows substitution of one class of materials by another. This work describes the development carried out on Metal Matrix Complex nanocomposites produced by industrially scalable processes which combines several reinforcements and matrixes for obtaining a good combination of properties Metal matrix complex nanocomposites are being produced by a powder metallurgy route followed by plastic deformation processes (e.g. extrusion). Different types of Al alloys including nanoquasicrystalline alloys have been used as matrix and composites have been prepared by the addition of reinforcements or plasticizers. The new metal matrix complex nanocomposites produced show a good combination of mechanical properties at room and elevated temperature that has the potential to enable a transformation in materials engineering for high impact applications.