Reduction mechanism of surface oxide films and characterization of formations on pulse electric-current sintered Al–Mg alloy powders

The microstructure of interfaces between powder particles in Al–Mg alloy specimens sintered by pulse electric-current sintering (PECS) process was characterized using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The crystalline precipitates with nano-size in the interface were observed in all of Al–Mg alloy specimens. The composition was determined to be MgAl2O4 or MgO, or both of them, which depended on Mg content in alloy powder and sintering temperature. The precipitates were suggested to contribute to reduction reaction of Mg with oxide films originally covered at powder particles surface.