The effect of mechanical alloying on SiC distribution and the properties of 6061 aluminum composite

6061 Aluminum alloy reinforced with 8 vol.% SiC particulate composite was produced by P/M processing. Mechanical alloying (MA) technique was used to mill the blended powder under argon. The results of MA processing have been investigated with SEM, EDS, OM, XRD. The results show that relatively homogeneous distribution of SiCp reinforcement in the matrix could be obtained by mechanical alloying technique after 5 h. MA processing has some disadvantages, such as low compressibility of the powder and gas contamination, both of which affect the integrity of sintering. A degassing procedure is suggested to improve the compressibility and sintering.