Study of the nanocrystalline bulk Al alloys synthesized by high energy mechanical milling followed by room temperature high pressing consolidation

In the present study high energy mechanical milling followed by high-pressing consolidation has been used to obtain bulk nanocrystalline Al-Fe-Si alloy. Quantitative XRD analysis and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the material evolution during thermal treatments in the temperature range 25 - 500 degrees C. The cold-worked structure have been synthesized with microstructure showing a mixture of a significant low size of crystallite (70 nm) and a high level of lattice strains (0.85%). Starting from the nanocrystalline specimens, isochronal experiments were carried out to monitor the reserve microstructure and transformations. The high temperature annealing is required for ameliorating the quality of room temperature consolidated materials by removing all porosity and obtaining good interparticle bonding. The thermal conductivity and the thermal diffusivity are investigated with the Photothermal deflection technique. These thermal parameters increase with the annealing temperatures. This behavior is attributed to the increase in the rate of diffusion coefficient of added elements inside the aluminum matrix. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved