Mechanical Properties of an Al88.5Ni8Mm3.5 (Mm: Misch Metal) Alloy Produced by Extrusion of Atomized Amorphous plus fcc-Al Phase Powders

High strength nanostructured Al-based alloys through optimized processing of rapidly quenched amorphous precursors

We report the methods increasing both strength and ductility of aluminum alloys transformed from amorphous precursor. The mechanical properties of bulk samples produced by spark-plasma sintering (SPS) of amorphous Al-Ni-Co-Dy powders at temperatures above 673 K are significantly enhanced by in-situ crystallization of nano-scale intermetallic compounds during the SPS process. The spark plasma sintered Al₈₄Ni₇Co₃Dy₆ bulk specimens exhibit 1433 MPa compressive yield strength and 1773 MPa maximum strength together with 5.6% plastic strain, respectively. The addition of Dy enhances the thermal stability of primary fcc Al in the amorphous Al-TM -RE alloy. The precipitation of intermetallic phases by crystallization of the remaining amorphous matrix plays important role to restrict the growth of the fcc Al phase and contributes to the improvement of the mechanical properties. Such fully crystalline nano- or ultrafine-scale Al-Ni-Co-Dy systems are considered promising for industrial application because their superior mechanical properties in terms of a combination of very high room temperature strength combined with good ductility.

Development Of High-Strength Aluminum-Based Alloys By Synthesis Of New Multicomponent Quasicrystals

By the control of composition, clustered atomic configuration and stability of the supercooled liquid in the rapid solidification and powder metallurgy processes, high-strength Al-based bulk alloys containing nanoscale nonperiodic phases were produced in AI-Ln-LTM, AI-ETM-LTM and Al-(V, Cr, Mn)-LTM (Ln=lanthanide metal, LTM=VII and VIII group metals, ETM=IV to VI group metals) alloys containing high Al contents of 92 to 95 at%. The nonperiodic phases are composed of amorphous or icosahedral (I) phase. In particular, the Al-based bulk alloys consisting of nanoscale I particles surrounded by Al phase exhibit much better mechanical properties as compared with commercial Al base alloys. The success of producing the Al-based alloys with good engineering properties by use of I phase is important for future development of I-based alloys as practical materials.

Metallic Glasses

Amorphous metallic alloys, relative newcomers to the world of glasses, have properties that are unusual for solid metals. The metallic glasses, which exist in a very wide variety of compositions, combine fundamental interest with practical applications. They also serve as precursors for exciting new nanocrystalline materials. Their magnetic (soft and hard) and mechanical properties are of particular interest.