Commercial Processing of Aluminum Composites with Nano Alumina Reinforcement

Processing of Aluminum Composites with Nano-Alumina Reinforcement

William Harrigan

Gamma Technology, LLC

Valencia CA

Gamma Technology has developed and patented a process to introduce nano size alumina particles into aluminum alloys.  This process has been scaled from a laboratory process to a prototype process and will be scaled to 200 pound samples during 2016.  This process does not require expensive procedures and will deliver nano particle reinforced aluminum at a reasonable cost.

Two matrix alloys were investigated, 1100 aluminum and 6063 Aluminum, because these alloys contain low levels of secondary elements and have single phase microstructures.  All testing was conducted using fully annealed samples, 500°C for at least 1 hour followed by furnace cooling to 150°C. The nanometer particles increase the strength of the matrix alloy at room temperature and at elevated temperatures because the nanometer alumina particles are stable at all temperatures and do not dissolve as do precipitates in other aluminum alloys.

The room temperature tensile strength data demonstrate that the nano addition raise the yield strength of 1100 from 34 to 170 MPa. The 6063 yield strength is increased from 90 to 245 MPa.  These data demonstrate that the addition of the nanometer size alumina particles result in a significant strength increase.  These strength increases result in some decrease in ductility, however the resulting composites with 5% particle addition still have over 10% elongation. 

The elevated temperature tensile test data show that the strength of 1100 Aluminum is increased from 10 to 79 MPa at 375°C.  The tests were conducted after the samples were held at temperature for 30 minutes. These data demonstrate that the addition of the nanometer size particles of alumina into the 1100 matrix alloy imparts strength at all temperatures, confirming that the particles are stable and do not dissolve as the temperature increases.