Microstructure and Thermal Stability of Heterostructured Al-AlN Nanocomposite
Received date: 2022-06-20
Revised date: 2022-08-12
Online published: 2022-09-09
Supported by
National Natural Science Foundation of China(51731007);National Natural Science Foundation of China(52071179);National Natural Science Foundation of China(52271033);Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(N30920021160);Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK20221493)
Efforts to develop high-strength and heat-resistant Al alloys have been ongoing to reduce the weight of automobiles and achieve transportation with low emissions. Traditional heat-resistant Al alloys are difficult to use at temperatures higher than 300oC because of the strength loss from precipitate coarsening behavior. This study examined the microstructure, mechanical properties, and thermal stability of a heterostructured Al nanocomposite reinforced by AlN nanoparticles using FESEM, TEM, EBSD, tensile test, and thermal exposure experiments. The heterogeneous lamellar structure of Al-AlN nanocomposite was composed of alternate distributed particle-rich and particle-free zones. Ultrafine Al grains formed in the particle-rich zone, whereas coarse Al grains formed in the particle-free zone. The mechanical tests of the Al-AlN nanocomposite showed no visible microhardness or loss of tensile strength after severe thermal exposure at 500oC for up to 100 h. The outstanding thermal stability and tensile strength combination were much better than the data in the literature. It is believed that the intergranular AlN nanoparticles pinned the Al grain boundaries and contributed to the superior thermal stability and strength. Furthermore, an abnormal increase in strength at the initial stage of the thermal exposure tests was revealed. A thermal exposure temperature resulted in a greater increase in strength and hardness, which was rationally interpreted in view of grain boundary relaxation strengthening.
Jinfeng NIE , Yuli WU , Kewei XIE , Xiangfa LIU . Microstructure and Thermal Stability of Heterostructured Al-AlN Nanocomposite[J]. Acta Metall Sin, 2022 , 58(11) : 1497 -1508 . DOI: 10.11900/0412.1961.2022.00305
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