Preparation of Al–SiC–Al ₂ O ₃ metal matrix composite powder by mechanochemical reaction between Al, SiO ₂ and C

Abstract

In this Letter, Al-SiC-Al 2 O 3 metal matrix nanocomposite powder was successfully synthesised employing a mechanical alloying technique, through a mechanochemical reaction among aluminium (Al), silicon dioxide (SiO 2) and carbon (C). For commercial purposes, the materials (Al, SiO 2 and C powders) and also the method of synthesis (mechanical alloying) is considered to be cost-effective for production of Al-SiC-Al 2 O 3 nanocomposite. The structural evaluation of powder particles after different milling times was conducted by X-ray diffractometry, and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that during ball milling Al, SiO 2 and C reacted through a mechanochemical reaction producing Al-SiC-Al 2 O 3 metal matrix nanocomposite powder after 50 h of ball milling and annealing at a temperature of 650°C for 1 h. The crystallite sizes of phases remained in nanometric scale.

The effect of milling time on the alumina phase transformation in the AMCs powder metallurgy reinforced by silica-sand-tailings

“…Some of these studies used Aluminium and SiO 2 material consti tuents with a milling time of 8 hours and sintering at 650 °C for 2 hours [18]. Furthermore, Al and ZnO materials were used with a milling time of 60 hours and sintering at 550 °C for 3 minutes [15], as well as Al, SiO 2 , and C materials with a milling time of 50 hours and sintering at 650 °C for 1 hour [19].…”