Effect of SiC nanoparticles on the precipitation behavior and mechanical properties of 7075Al alloy

In terms of aluminum alloy matrix composites, the effect of reinforcement on precipitation is worth investigating. In this work, the silicon carbide nanoparticles-reinforced 7075Al (SiCnp/7075Al) composite was fabricated through a series of powder metallurgy procedures, shift-speed ball milling, hot pressing, and hot extrusion, and the precipitation behavior of SiCnp/7075Al composite was compared with that of 7075Al alloy after T6 treatment. The results show that only a small addition (1 vol%) of SiCnp modifies the morphology and dispersion of precipitates. The uniformly dispersed small precipitates (eta ' phase) and increased dislocation density have a positive influence on the mechanical properties of composites. Based on the fracture surface and element composition, a fracture mode dominated by precipitated phase-induced crack initiation was proposed. This study suggests a promising approach to design the alloy matrix composites through controlling the behavior of precipitated phases with nano-reinforcement.