Mechanical Properties and Microstructural Behavior of a Metal Matrix Composite Processed by Severe Plastic Deformation Techniques

Abstract

ABSTRACTA severe plastic deformation (SPD) technique was applied to an Al-7075 alloy reinforced with 10 vol.% Al2O3. This processing method of high-pressure torsion (HPT) was performed at room temperature under a pressure of 6.0 GPa through a total number of up to 20 turns. The metal matrix composite (MMC) showed a significant grain refinement from an initial average grain size of ∼8 μm to ∼300 nm after processing by HPT through 20 turns which led to an increase in the average values of Vickers microhardness at room temperature.