This article deals with powder metallurgical production and modification of properties of a composite material based on an age‐hardenable Al–Cu alloy. The main objective is to improve the mechanical properties by particle reinforcement and equal‐channel angular pressing (ECAP). Our approach makes use of four hardening mechanisms: precipitation hardening, particle reinforcement, strain‐hardening, and grain boundary hardening associated with an ultrafine‐grained microstructure produced by ECAP. The main processing steps are high‐energy ball milling, hot‐isostatic pressing, extrusion, heat treatment, and a single ECAP pass. Microstructures are analyzed by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and scanning transmission electron microscopy. The mechanical properties are characterized by hardness measurements and quasi‐static tensile testing. Our experimental results show that the proposed processing route results in a nearly homogeneous distribution of SiC particles in the matrix. The combination of particle reinforcement and ECAP leads to an improvement of ultimate tensile strength by almost 300 MPa compared to the unreinforced alloy. A subsequent heat treatment leads to a further increase in hardness and strength that can be related to changes in the defect structure. Our study provides detailed information on how processing steps, microstructures, and mechanical behavior are interrelated in this technologically relevant class of materials.

The research and development of new materials such as particle-reinforced aluminum matrix composites (AMCs) will only result in a successful innovation if these materials show significant advantages not only from a technological, but also from an economic point of view. Against this background, in the Collaborative Research Center SFB 692, the concept of an integrated technology, user, and market analysis and forecast has been developed as a means for assessing the technological and commercial potential of new materials in early life cycle stages. After briefly describing this concept, it is applied to AMCs and the potential field of manufacturing aircraft components. Results show not only technological advances, but also considerable economic potential-the latter one primarily resulting from the possible weight reduction being enabled by the increased yield strength of the new material.

Based on metallographic studies the states of composite powder formation during high-energy ball milling will be discussed. Spherical powder of aluminium alloy AA2017 was used as feedstock material for the matrix. SiC and Al 2 O 3 powders of submicron and micron grain size (<2 lm) were chosen as reinforcement particles with contents of 5 and 15 vol.-% respectively. The milling duration amounted to a maximum of 4 hours. The abrasion of the surface of the steel balls, the rotor and the vessel is indicated by the content of ferrous particles in the powder. High-energy ball milling leads to satisfying particle dispersion for both types of reinforcement particles. Further improvements are intended. The microstructure of compact material obtained by hot isostatic pressing and extrusion was studied in detail by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. For both types of reinforcement the microstructure of composites is similar. The microporosity is low. The interface between reinforcement particles and matrix is free of brittle phases and microcracks. In the case of SiC reinforcement particles, a small interface interaction is detectable which implies a good embedding of reinforcement particles. High-energy ball milling under air-atmosphere leads to the formation of the spinel phase MgAl 2 O 4 during the subsequent powder-metallurgical processing. Because of the size, rate and dispersion of the spinel particles, an additional reinforcement effect is expected.

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