Simultaneously increased strength and ductility via the hierarchically heterogeneous structure of Al-Mg-Si alloys/nanocomposite

Abstract

The increase in strength usually accompanies with ductility loss in structural materials. We proposed a novel approach to the design and fabrication of hierarchically structured Al-Mg-Si alloys/nanocomposites with improved strength and ductility. The layered distribution of TiC nanoparticles (TiCp), bimodal-sized grains and precipitates were produced in a laminated composite composed of Al-Mg-Si matrix alloy and TiCp/Al-Mg-Si composite by accumulative roll bonding (ARB), increasing yield strength from 380 MPa to 443 MPa with a uniform elongation from 5.0% to 6.4%, compared to the ARB TiCp/Al-Mg-Si composite. This work provides a new strategy for producing high strength composite sheets for industrial applications. IMPACT STATEMENT: A hierarchical structure with the layered distribution of nanosized TiC particles (TiCp) was obtained through the master alloy-casting process and accumulative roll bonding process. Significant improvement in strength was obtained with no loss in ductility.