Effect of the Thermomechanical Treatment Conditions on the Consolidation, the Structure, and the Mechanical Properties of Bulk Al–Mg–C Nanocomposites

Abstract

The effect of the conditions of sintering under pressure (temperature, pressure) of mechanically synthesized Al–Mg–C nanocomposite powders on consolidation and the evolution of the structure–phase composition has been studied. The data on the mechanical properties of the prepared bulk nanocomposites are presented. It is found that the hardening of the material results from the joint action of the contributions of the nanostructuring of the matrix material, precipitation hardening due to the precipitation of the Al₄C₃ phase, and precipitation hardening with nanocrystalline graphite particles; i.e., the hardening obeys the Hall–Petch and Orowan mechanisms. The specific strength of the samples is dependent on the consolidation temperature and the graphite content in a charge and varies within the range 15.7–24.5 km.