Formation of nanostructure in rapidly solidified Al-Zr alloy by severe plastic deformation

The changes in the phase and structure of rapidly solidified aluminum alloy with zirconium when subjected to severe plastic deformation (SPD) were studied. The combined treatment of the aluminum alloy in liquid and solid states by rapid solidification from melt and subsequent SPD by high pressure torsion resulted in ultrafine-grained structure with grain of 300 nm in size and high microhardness of 1200 to 1500 MPa. The principle possibility to fabricate single-phase structure of α-phase solid solution due to the deformation dissolution of the initial aluminides in the matrix was demonstrated by a model.