EFFECT OF FE CONTENT ON THE MECHANICAL ALLOYING AND MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES OF AL-FE ALLOYS

Al-Fe alloys with Fe contents ranging from 5 to 12 wt% are produced by a double mechanical alloying process (DMA) which consists of a first step of mechanical alloying (MA1) applied to elemental Al and Fe powders, with subsequent heat treatment of MA1 powders to promote the formation of Al-Fe intermetallic phases, and a second mechanical alloying step (MA2) to refine the intermetallic phase, and consolidation of the produced powders by combination of degassing and hot extrusion. The effect of Fe content on the process, as well as on the mechanical properties of the extruded alloys, has been extensively studied. The alloys produced by this process show excellent tensile strength and stiffness at room and elevated temperatures due to the strengthening of Al by intermetallics, as well as to the stabilization of the structure by inert dispersoids.