Preparation of Al-SiC-Al2O3 metal matrix composite powder by mechanochemical reaction between Al, SiO2 and C

In this Letter, Al-SiC-Al₂O₃ metal matrix nanocomposite powder was successfully synthesised employing a mechanical alloying technique, through a mechanochemical reaction among aluminium (Al), silicon dioxide (SiO₂) and carbon (C). For commercial purposes, the materials (Al, SiO₂ and C powders) and also the method of synthesis (mechanical alloying) is considered to be cost-effective for production of Al-SiC-Al₂O₃ nanocomposite. The structural evaluation of powder particles after different milling times was conducted by X-ray diffractometry, and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that during ball milling Al, SiO₂ and C reacted through a mechanochemical reaction producing Al-SiC-Al₂O₃ metal matrix nanocomposite powder after 50 h of ball milling and annealing at a temperature of 650°C for 1 h. The crystallite sizes of phases remained in nanometric scale.