Mechanical Properties of Nano Particle Reinforced Aluminum Composites

Gamma Technology had developed and patented a process to introduce nano size alumina particles into aluminum alloys. This process has been scaled from a laboratory process, 200 gram samples, to a prototype process, 10 pound samples. This process does not require expensive procedures and will deliver nano particle reinforced aluminum at a reasonable cost. This paper describes the tensile data for material made during the laboratory and prototype development.

Two matrix alloys were investigated, 1100 aluminum and a 2000 series alloy in order to define the strength improvements of a single-phase matrix, 1100 as well as a matrix that has a precipitation strengthening phase. All testing was done with full 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 precipitates in other aluminum alloys. The elastic modulus of all samples was determined by ultrasonic velocity measurements at room temperature. The 2000 series matrix composite was subjected to a standard precipitation heat treatment to define the additional strength generated by the combination of precipitates and nano reinforcements.