Al2O3 Composites Research Articles

Fabrication of Al-Ni-Al2O3 metal matrix composite coating on AA1100 wrought aluminium alloy by Gas Tungsten Arc (GTA) coating technique

The present paper describes about the Al-Ni-Al2O3 composite coating, which was developed on AA1100 aluminium alloy by gas tungsten arc (GTA) cladding method. The coating was developed by use of different composition of Al, Ni and Al2O3 mixed powders. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive x-ray (EDS) and x-ray diffractometry (XRD) were used to examine the microstructure and phase formation of the coating. Vickers microhardness and dry sliding wear test were used to study the mechanical and tribological properties of the coated layer under various normal loading conditions. It was observed that the increase in percentage composition of Al2O3 improved the metallurgical and mechanical properties of the coated layer. It was found that due to the development of Al2O3 reinforced intermetallic matrix composite the hardness and wear resistance of coated layer increased as compare to the AA11000 aluminium alloy substrate. It was also found that due to these phases the coefficient of friction of coated layer was lower than the substrate and the wear resistance of coated layer was higher than that of the substrate. The maximum hardness of coated layer was found to be nearly 26 times higher than that of the AA1100 aluminium alloy substrate. Also, the wear resistance of coated layer was nearly five to eight times higher than that of the AA1100 aluminium alloy substrate.

Rietveld analysis and mechanical properties of in situ formed La-β-Al2O3/Al2O3 composites prepared by sol-gel method

In this work, the crystal evolution of α -Al 2 O 3 composites reinforced with LBA platelets were monitored by XRD Rietveld. In addition, the mechanical properties of totally densified specimens were researched by Vickers and Knoop indentations. These composite materials were prepared by a sol-gel process from alumina seeded boehmite sol and lanthanum nitrate. X-ray diffraction data have been studied by Rietveld refinements and line profile analyses, paying attention to the LBA formation, the evolution of vol%, and crystallite size of the different phases. It has been observed that the appearance of the LBA phase happens at a lower temperature than in samples prepared by a conventional solid state reaction. Indentation tests revealed that the presence of LBA microplatelets in the sol-gel samples leads to a significant increase of their indentation fracture resistance, in comparison to the conventional samples.

Peculiarities of the Phase Formation during Electroconsolidation of Al2O3-SiO2-ZrO2 Powders Mixtures.

This paper is devoted to the sintering process of Al2O3–SiO2–ZrO2 ceramics. The studied method was electroconsolidation with directly applied electric current. This method provides substantial improvements to the mechanical properties of the sintered samples compared to the traditional sintering in the air. The research covered elemental and phase analysis of the samples, which revealed phase transition of high-alumina solid solutions into mullite and corundum. Zirconia was represented mainly by tetragonal phase, but monoclinic phase was present, too. Electroconsolidation enabled samples to reach a density of 3.0 g/cm3 at 1300 °C, while the sample prepared by traditional sintering method obtained it only at 1700 °C. For the composite Al2O3—20 wt.% SiO2—10 wt.% ZrO2 fabricated by electroconsolidation, it was demonstrated that fracture toughness was higher by 20–30%, and hardness was higher by 15–20% compared to that of samples sintered traditionally. Similarly, the samples fabricated by electroconsolidation exhibited elastic modulus E higher by 15–20%. The hypothesis was proposed that the difference in mechanical and physical properties could be attributed to the peculiarities of phase formation processes during electroconsolidation.

Improving Thermal Conductivity of Injection Molded Polycarbonate/Boron Nitride Composites by Incorporating Spherical Alumina Particles: The Influence of Alumina Particle Size.

In this work, the influences of alumina (Al2O3) particle size and loading concentration on the properties of injection molded polycarbonate (PC)/boron nitride (BN)/Al2O3 composites were systematically studied. Results indicated that both in-plane and through-plane thermal conductivity of the ternary composites were significantly improved with the addition of spherical Al2O3 particles. In addition, the thermal conductivity of polymer composites increased significantly with increasing Al2O3 concentration and particle size, which were related to the following factors: (1) the presence of spherical Al2O3 particles altered the orientation state of flaky BN fillers that were in close proximity to Al2O3 particles (as confirmed by SEM observations and XRD analysis), which was believed crucial to improving the through-plane thermal conductivity of injection molded samples; (2) the presence of Al2O3 particles increased the filler packing density by bridging the uniformly distributed BN fillers within PC substrate, thereby leading to a significant enhancement of thermal conductivity. The in-plane and through-plane thermal conductivity of PC/50 μm-Al2O3 40 wt%/BN 20 wt% composites reached as high as 2.95 and 1.78 W/mK, which were 1183% and 710% higher than those of pure PC, respectively. The prepared polymer composites exhibited reasonable mechanical performance, and excellent electrical insulation properties and processability, which showed potential applications in advanced engineering fields that require both thermal conduction and electrical insulation properties.

Microstructure and corrosion behavior of Al2O3–Cr2O3 composites with various Cr2O3 content in Al2O3–SiO2–CaO–FeO slag

The corrosion of refractory materials by high-temperature slag has caused severe technical challenges and economic losses to the metallurgical industry. In this study, the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al2O3–Cr2O3 composites were investigated. The static crucible method was used to investigate the corrosion and infiltration behavior of a typical smelting reduction ironmaking slag for the Al2O3–Cr2O3 refractory. Corrosion test results indicate that the corrosion region of Cr2O3–Al2O3 composites is mainly composed of a corrosion and infiltration layer, and the thickness of the corrosion layer decreases significantly with increasing Cr2O3 content in the sample, whereas the thickness of the infiltration layer increases gradually. The dissolution of Al2O3 into the slag is the main reason for the severe erosion of Al2O3–Cr2O3 composites with a low Cr2O3 content. Increasing the amount of Cr2O3 can significantly improve the slag corrosion resistance of Cr2O3–Al2O3 composites, however will have a negative effect on the slag infiltration resistance, which is mainly owing to the increase in porosity of the composite refractory. The formation of the (Al, Cr)2O3 solid solution effectively inhibited the dissolution of alumina in the slag. In addition, excessive Cr2O3 content can also consume Al2O3 in the slag and form an (Al, Cr)2O3 solid solution, which improves the slag corrosion resistance of the aluminum chromium composite refractory.

Fabrication, Thermal Conductivity, and Mechanical Properties of Hexagonal-Boron-Nitride-Pattern-Embedded Aluminum Oxide Composites.

As electronics become more portable and compact, the demand for high-performance thermally conductive composites is increasing. Given that the thermal conductivity correlates with the content of thermally conductive fillers, it is important to fabricate composites with high filler loading. However, the increased viscosity of the composites upon the addition of these fillers impedes the fabrication of filler-reinforced composites through conventional methods. In this study, hexagonal-boron-nitride (h-BN)-pattern-embedded aluminum oxide (Al2O3) composites (Al/h-BN/Al composites) were fabricated by coating a solution of h-BN onto a silicone-based Al2O3 composite through a metal mask with square open areas. Because this method does not require the dispersion of h-BN into the Al2O3 composite, composites with high filler loading could be fabricated without the expected problems arising from increased viscosity. Based on the coatability and thixotropic rheological behaviors, a composite with 85 wt.% Al2O3 was chosen to fabricate Al/h-BN/Al composites. The content of the Al2O3 and the h-BN of the Al/h-BN/Al-1 composite was 74.1 wt.% and 12.8 wt.%, respectively. In addition to the increased filler content, the h-BN of the composite was aligned in a parallel direction by hot pressing. The in-plane (kx) and through-plane (kz) thermal conductivity of the composite was measured as 4.99 ± 0.15 Wm−1 K−1 and 1.68 ± 0.2 Wm−1 K−1, respectively. These results indicated that the method used in this study is practical not only for increasing the filler loading but also for achieving a high kx through the parallel alignment of h-BN fillers.

Refractories for the processing of Fe–TiC alloy

In order to select the appropriate crucible material for Fe–TiC composite alloy processing, Al2O3, CaZrO3, and MgO-stabilized ZrO2 ceramic substrates were tested for interaction with a liquid Fe–TiC alloy at 1650 °C. The sessile drop method under protective gas was applied to conduct the experiment. The measured contact angle of Fe–TiC alloy followed the tendency of MgO-stabilized ZrO2˃CaZrO3˃Al2O3. After investigations, the Al2O3 substrate was strongly corroded by the liquid Fe–TiC alloy. The CaZrO3 substrate showed a smooth and non-corroded interface after the interaction. Reactions products TiOx and MgTiOx were detected between alloy and Mg–ZrO2 substrate. Obtained results were discussed under consideration of SEM/EDX analysis, which was conducted on the cross-section samples of metal/ceramic compound and on the top surface of the solidified Fe–TiC alloy; and of thermodynamic simulations of the Fe–TiC alloy interaction with the investigated substrates.

Fe-Si Intermetallics/Al2O3 Composites Formed between Fe-20% Si and Fe-70.5% Si by SHS Metallurgy Method

Fe–Si intermetallics–Al2O3 composites were fabricated by thermite-assisted combustion synthesis. Combustion reactions were conducted with powder compacts composed of Fe2O3, Al, Fe, and Si. The starting stoichiometry of powder mixtures had an atomic Fe/Si proportion ranging from Fe-20% to Fe-70.5% Si to explore the variation of silicide phases formed with Si percentage. Combustion in the mode of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) was achieved and the activation energy of the SHS reaction was deduced. It was found that the increase of Si content decreased the combustion temperature and combustion wave velocity. Three silicide compounds, Fe3Si, FeSi, and α-FeSi2, along with Al2O3 were identified by XRD in the final products. Fe3Si was formed as the single-phase silicide from the reactions with Si percentage from Fe-20% to Fe-30% Si. FeSi dominated the silicide compounds in the reactions with atomic Si content between Fe-45% and Fe-55% Si. As the Si percentage increased to Fe-66.7% Si and Fe-70.5% Si, α-FeSi2 became the major phase. The microstructure of the composite product showed that dispersed granular or nearly spherical iron silicides were embedded in Al2O3, which was dense and continuous. Most of the silicide grains were around 3–5 μm and the atomic ratio of silicide particles from the EDS analysis confirmed the presence of Fe3Si, FeSi, and FeSi2.

Morphology and Structure of Al2O3 + Graphene Low-Friction Composite Coatings

Recently, graphene and its derivatives have been of particular interest as a solid lubricant to reduce friction. The aim of this study was to investigate the morphology and structure of low-friction Al2O3 coatings containing reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Using two types of rGO, alumina coatings were produced by the sol–gel dip-coating method and characterized in terms of morphology and structure using SEM and AFM microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. It was found that composite Al2O3 + rGO coatings had diversified morphology depending on the type of graphene used. The dip-coating method used for deposition had a large impact on the morphology and contributed to the orderly arrangement of rGO nanoplates in the coating matrices. It was also shown that there is a correlation between the shape and spatial orientation of nanoplates and the tribological properties of coatings. The structural studies showed differences in the number of graphene defects in the coatings, which may indicate the chemical bonding of graphene with the alumina matrices. These differences may also be responsible for divergences in the tribological properties of the coatings depending on the type of graphene. All our findings indicate the key role of an appropriate balance between the parameters of composite coating production in terms of the desired tribological properties.

Fabrication and Characterization of Al6061-Nano Al2O3 Composites by Ultrasonic Assisted Stir Casting followed by Heat Treatment and Hot Forging

Fabrication and Characterization of Al6061-Nano Al2O3 Composites by Ultrasonic Assisted Stir Casting followed by Heat Treatment and Hot Forging

Role of nano-ZrO2 powder in in-situ formation of ceramic whiskers in Al2O3-C slide plate materials

The effects of nano-ZrO2 powder on the evolution of phase composition and microstructure of Al2O3–C materials during firing have been investigated using tabular alumina, Si powder, Al powder, graphite and nano-ZrO2 powder as starting materials. The residual content of Al and Si gradually decreased with increasing temperature, and the added nano-ZrO2 facilitates the reactions involving Si and Al. The quantity of in-situ synthesized AlN and SiC whiskers exhibiting continuous interlocking networks increased gradually with temperature. Nano-ZrO2 facilitates more ceramic whiskers generated in samples, which play a strengthening and toughening role in the materials, thus improving the thermal shock resistance and high temperature strength of Al2O3–C materials. In addition, physical properties are improved due to the nano-ZrO2 filling the pores and increasing the density of materials.

Mullite Reinforced SiC/Al2O3 Composites Prepared by Microwave Sintering Based on Green Manufacturing

In the preparation process of composites, the implementation of green manufacturing technology has an important impact on improving material properties and preparation efficiency. The adopting of green manufacturing technology not only greatly reduces the energy consumption but also effectively avoids the environmental pollution. Compared with the traditional material preparation process, the material preparation process for green manufacturing is a new concept and idea. Microwave sintering is such an efficient, clean, and pollution-free preparation process, so it is widely used in the field of material preparation. By microwave sintering, the mullite reinforced SiC/Al2O3 composites with different SiC particle size were prepared from the composite powders composed of SiC particles coated with SiO2, by a sol-gel method and Al2O3 particles. The effect of SiC particle size on the microstructure, bulk density, fracture toughness, flexural strength, and thermal shock resistance of SiC/Al2O3 composites was studied. The bulk density, fracture toughness, and flexural strength were evaluated by the Archimedes method, single-side notched beam method, and three-point bending method, respectively. The thermal shock resistance of samples was investigated through the combination of water quenching and three-point bending methods. The results showed that with the increase of SiC particle size, the bulk density, fracture toughness, and flexural strength of samples all increased first and then decreased. The bulk density, fracture toughness, flexural strength, and flexural strength retention of SiC(5 μm)/Al2O3 composites were better than those of other samples, which were 2.06 g/cm3, 1.98 MPa·m1/2, 63 MPa, and 60%, respectively. The better mechanical properties and thermal shock resistance of SiC(5 μm)/Al2O3 composites are due to the formation of bridging mullite whiskers between SiC and Al2O3 particles with large length diameter ratio. Therefore, the unique sintering mechanisms of size coupling effect and local thermal aggregation effect in microwave sintering were discussed. The research results can not only provide reference for the preparation process of mullite reinforced SiC/Al2O3 composites but also for the wide application of microwave sintering technology.

Thermo-mechanical properties prediction of Ni-reinforced Al2O3 composites using micro-mechanics based representative volume elements

For effective cutting tool inserts that absorb thermal shock at varying temperature gradients, improved thermal conductivity and toughness are required. In addition, parameters such as the coefficient of thermal expansion must be kept within a reasonable range. This work presents a novel material design framework based on a multi-scale modeling approach that proposes nickel (Ni)-reinforced alumina (Al2O3) composites to tailor the mechanical and thermal properties required for ceramic cutting tools by considering numerous composite parameters. The representative volume elements (RVEs) are generated using the DREAM.3D software program and the output is imported into a commercial finite element software ABAQUS. The RVEs which contain multiple Ni particles with varying porosity and volume fractions are used to predict the effective thermal and mechanical properties using the computational homogenization methods under appropriate boundary conditions (BCs). The RVE framework is validated by the sintering of Al2O3-Ni composites in various compositions. The predicted numerical results agree well with the measured thermal and structural properties. The properties predicted by the numerical model are comparable with those obtained using the rules of mixtures and SwiftComp, as well as the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) based computational homogenization method. The results show that the ABAQUS, SwiftComp and FFT results are fairly close to each other. The effects of porosity and Ni volume fraction on the mechanical and thermal properties are also investigated. It is observed that the mechanical properties and thermal conductivities decrease with the porosity, while the thermal expansion remains unaffected. The proposed integrated modeling and empirical approach could facilitate the development of unique Al2O3-metal composites with the desired thermal and mechanical properties for ceramic cutting inserts.

Numerical Analysis of Fatigue Life and strength of AA5052 Aluminum Alloy Reinforced with ZrO2, TiO2 and Al2O3 Nanoparticles

In this study, the finite element method using ANSYS workbench 16.1 has been successfully used to predict the fatigue life, fatigue strength, and the factors of safety for the as cast AA5052 as arrow matrix and its composites: AA5052/7 wt% ZrO2, AA5052/7 wt% TiO2 and AA5052/7 wt% Al2O3. The Finite Element Analysis (FEA) model was building according to dimensions of the experimental fatigue specimen. The total number of elements was 504 elements with a total number of nodes of 2572 nodes. The numerical fatigue test was processed under static structural analysis, and it has been analyzed using fatigue tool on ANSYS, Goodman theory was used for the prediction of life. The FEM using ANSYS.16.1 workbench simulation showed a good agreement with the experimental results for all the stress life curves and the highest difference in fatigue life was 17% and the lowest was 1.4%, for ZrO2 composite, while the maximum overall average error was 2.031% for AA5052 and the lowest was 0.378%, for Al2O3 composite. The maximum difference about 4.14 % between the experimental and numerical fatigue strength at 107 cycles for the row matrix and less than for the composites, also the minimum factor of safety for the AA5052 alloy is 0.8327 and for AA5052/7 wt% ZrO2 composite is 1.0709 while for both AA5052/7wt%TiO2 and AA5052/7 wt% Al2O3 composites are 1.0707 at specific design life.

Wear behavior of high volume Al2O3-reinforced Al7075 matrix composites fabricated by semi-solid powder processing

The aim of the present study is to fabricate high volume Al2O3-reinforced Al7075 matrix composite by semi-solid powder processing method as an effective method to achieve the desired wear properties. The alloy powder (20 µm) was mixed with Al2O3 (120 µm) for 10 min and 5 h by planetary ball mill to overcome the powders agglomeration. The wear behavior of the composites was studied using the pin-on-disk tribometer. The effects of milling time, compact pressure, and reinforcement content were investigated to enhance the wear resistance. The results of the tribotests indicated that composites with coarser reinforcing particles (lower milling time) have good wear resistance. The role of compaction pressure in highly loaded composites is remarkable. The maximum wear resistance was observed for the 50% Al2O3 composite. The wear resistance increased as the reinforcement volume increased before reaching a critical value. Abrasive wear is the predominant mechanism in the wear of reinforced composites containing less than the load limit. However, adhesive and laminating wear are the controlling mechanisms at overloads. The results indicate valuable information in the development of aluminum-based composites.

Effect of Composition on Characteristics of Powder Coating Sludge (PCS)-Metakaolin-Based Geopolymer

The aim of this research is to experimentally study the application of powder coating sludge (PCS) and metakaolin as geopolymer. The PCS is a lot of waste which is released after the powder coating production process. While metakaolin comprises SiO2 and Al2O3 which can be used to produce geopolymer. Therefore, this study aimed to determine a suitable geopolymer mix ratio, using PCS as part of the mixture. This research also investigated the effect of metakaolin/PCS ratio, sodium hydroxide (NaOH)/sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) ratio, curing time, NaOH concentration and solid/liquid ratio on compressive strength of geopolymer. The coefficient of thermal conductivity was tested by using a suitable composition. Kaolin in this experiment was calcined at 700 °C for 2 h. Alkaline activators for molding were NaOH and Na2SiO3. Samples were hardened in an electric oven at 80 °C for 4 h before being removed from the moulds and cured at room temperature within 7, 14 and 28 days. Metakaolin/PCS ratios of 90:10, 80:20, 70:30 and 60:40, and solid/liquid ratios of 0.8 and 0.6 were performed. Concentration of NaOH were 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 molars and NaOH/Na2SiO3 ratios were 1:1.5, 1:2 and 1:2.5, respectively. The experiments were conducted in triplicate. Results of 3 PCS tests showed that the highest composition of Al2O3 and SiO2 were 3.37 and 1.99 % w/w, respectively. The sample which is based on 60 % metakaolin and 40 % PCS, 10 molars NaOH, NaOH/ Na2SiO3 of 1:1.25, solid/liquid of 0.6 and curing time of 28 days had a maximum compressive strength of 81 kg/cm2, while the coefficient of thermal conductivity was 0.1766 W/(mŸk). Therefore, it can be concluded that the PCS has the potential to partially replace metakaolin as geopolymers material.
 HIGHLIGHTS
 
 Geopolymer comprises alumina (Al2O3) and silica (SiO2) and the advantages of geopolymer production are environmentally friendly and reduce energy consumption 
 
 
 The appropriate metakaolin/PCS ratio and concentration of activators provide the highest compressive strength
 
 
 The geopolymer of this study has low thermal conductivity coefficient therefore it is a good insulation material 
 

Microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of thermally sprayed conventional ceramic coatings reinforced with multiwalled carbon nanotubes

This paper aims to develop a high-performance, cost-effective ceramic coating on AISI 1020 steel substrate. For this purpose, three kinds of conventional ceramic powders are taken in the composition Al2O3+3 wt%TiO2, WC+12 wt%Co and ZrO2+8 wt%Y2O3. The composites are coated on the steel surface using thermal spraying technology such as plasma flame for Al2O3+3 wt%TiO2 and ZrO2+8 wt%Y2O3 and high-velocity oxy-fuel for WC+12 wt%Co deposition. Recently, carbon nanotube–reinforced ceramic materials have gained more attention because of their excellent surface morphology properties. Adding nanocomposite to ceramic powders can considerably increase the microstructural characteristics and microhardness of thermal sprayed coatings. However, it is still challenging to obtain effective nanocomposite-doped conventional coating due to the elevated temperature of heat equipment. Thus, the conventional ceramic powders Al2O3+3 wt%TiO2, WC+12 wt%Co and ZrO2+8 wt%Y2O3 are combined with carbon nanotubes at a weight ratio of 1%, 3% and 5% for preparing reliable nanocomposite ceramic coating. The properties of nanocomposite mixed coatings are studied, and their performance is compared with conventional coatings. The coatings’ morphology, structure and phase composition are investigated through scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. In addition, Vickers microhardness and surface roughness are also determined.

Passivation efficacy study of Al2O3 dielectric on self-catalyzed molecular beam epitaxially grown GaAs1-x Sb x nanowires

This work evaluates the passivation efficacy of thermal atomic layer deposited (ALD) Al2O3 dielectric layer on self-catalyzed GaAs1-x Sb x nanowires (NWs) grown using molecular beam epitaxy. A detailed assessment of surface chemical composition and optical properties of Al2O3 passivated NWs with and without prior sulfur treatment were studied and compared to as-grown samples using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, and low-temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The XPS measurements reveal that prior sulfur treatment followed by Al2O3 ALD deposition abates III–V native oxides from the NW surface. However, the degradation in 4K-PL intensity by an order of magnitude observed for NWs with Al2O3 shell layer compared to the as-grown NWs, irrespective of prior sulfur treatment, suggests the formation of defect states at the NW/dielectric interface contributing to non-radiative recombination centers. This is corroborated by the Raman spectral broadening of LO and TO Raman modes, increased background scattering, and redshift observed for Al2O3 deposited NWs relative to the as-grown. Thus, our work seems to indicate the unsuitability of ALD deposited Al2O3 as a passivation layer for GaAsSb NWs.

Effect of reduced graphene oxide on the mechanical properties of rGO/Al2O3 composites

We fabricated reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-reinforced Al2O3 composites by spark plasma sintering and studied the effect of graphene oxide (GO) dimensions on the microstructure and mechanical properties of composites. The thin GO led to both grain size refinement and grain boundary pinning effects. The Al2O3 composite reinforced by thin and large GO had higher hardness than that reinforced by thick and small GO. The addition of thick GO leads to a reduction of hardness and generation of lateral cracks at the Al2O3 grain boundaries under indentation due to low rGO interlayer strength. The rGO distribution in the Al2O3 matrix was studied. A model calculation showed that the spacing between two parallel rGO platelets was one Al2O3 grain at rGO addition of 0.77 wt%. We concluded that the increased hardness of rGO/Al2O3 composites is due to the fine grain size and thin rGO at Al2O3 grain boundaries.

Wear and corrosion properties of spark plasma sintered Ti6Al4V– Al2O3 composites

Applications of Ti6Al4V alloy are limited due to its poor wear resistance. The wear resistance properties can be improved by the addition of ceramics to form metal matrix composites. The wear and corrosion resistance properties of Spark Plasma Sintered Ti6Al4V–Al2O3 composites have been investigated. The composites were sintered at 50 MPa at a temperature of 850 oC for 5 min in a vacuum environment. The composite samples were characterised based on microstructure, relative density and hardness. The wear tests were conducted in a dry environment under varying sliding loads whilst potentiodynamic polarization behaviour was carried out in 3.5 wt% NaCl. A maximum microhardness of 424 HV0.1 was attained at 10 wt% Al2O3 addition. Ti6Al4V reinforced with 3 wt% Al2O3 exhibited improved hardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance in a 3% NaCl environment.