A physical model for the aging of an aluminum-base alloy reinforced with nitride particles

• Published in: Inorganic materials Vol. 42; no. 10; pp. 1065 - 1071
• Main Authors: Ortiz, J. L., Amigó, V., Olvera, O., Manzano, A., Vorobiev, Yu. V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01-10-2006
• ISSN: 0020-1685; 1608-3172
• DOI: 10.1134/S0020168506100037

6061/X (X = AlN, Si3N4, TiN) aluminum-matrix composites have been prepared by a powder metallurgy process: by mixing aluminum alloy 6061 powder with nitride particles and extruding the mixture at high temperatures. After sintering and aging, the Vickers hardness of the composites has been measured. The results indicate that the Vickers hardness of the composites increases significantly with nitride particle content both before and after aging. The aging behavior of the composites can be interpreted in terms of a simple kinetic model, which was used earlier to predict changes in the yield strength of age-hardened unreinforced aluminum alloys. The model is shown to adequately describe the changes in the hardness of the composites. It is concluded that reinforcing nitride particles increase the precipitation rate, without influencing the nature of the precipitation process in the supersaturated solid solution.