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–Al2O3 metal matrix nanocomposite powder was successfully synthesised employing a mechanical alloying technique, through a mechanochemical reaction among aluminium (Al), silicon dioxide (SiO2) and carbon (C). For commercial purposes, the materials (Al, SiO2 and C powders) and also the method of synthesis (mechanical alloying) is considered to be cost-effective for production of Al–SiC–Al2O3 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, SiO2 and C reacted through a mechanochemical reaction producing Al–SiC–Al2O3 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.