Fabrication of MgO based nanocomposites with multifunctionality

The nanocrysialline FeCo alloy dispersed MgO nanocomposites were fabricated by the reduction and sintering of mixtures. The powder mixtures of nano-sized FeCo alloy and MgO were obtained by the solution chemical processes and hydrogen reduction of MgO, Fe- and Co-nitrates powders. Fully densitified MgO/FeCo alloy nanocomposites were fabricated by a pulse electric current sintering (PECS) method. The fracture toughness increased with increasing volume fraction of FeCo alloy. Moreover, an inverse magnetostrictive response to applied stress was obserserved, because of the FeCo alloy dispersions, which indicates promise for incorporating multifunctions such as stress sensing into the structural ceramics with high fracture toughness.