BULK NANOCRYSTALLINEA-Fe-V-Si ALLOY PRODUCED BY MECHANICAL ALLOYNG AND SUBSEQUENT HOT PRESSING

Bulk nanocrystalline Al-Fe-V-Si alloy was produced by mechanical alloying and subsequent hot pressing. The elemental powders of Al, Fe, V and Si were mechanically alloyed in a planetary ball mill for 60 h. X-ray diffraction results showed that after 60 h of ball milling the microstructure consisted of a nanostructured Al solid solution matrix in which Siphase was distributed. The milled powder then hot pressed in a uniaxial die at 550°C under a pressure of 250 MPa for 0.5 h. The microstructure of consolidated sample included Al12(Fe,V)3Si intermetallic phase in nanocrystalline Al matrix. Density measurement showed that hot pressing led to a dense bulk nanostructured Al-FeV-Si alloy.