Al 2O 3 nanoparticle addition to concentrated magnesium alloy AZ81: Enhanced ductility

Abstract

This study is aimed at understanding the ductility enhancing function of nanoparticles in a concentrated magnesium alloy (AZ81) nanocomposite. Al 2O 3 nanoparticles were selected for reinforcement purposes due to the well known affinity between magnesium and oxygen. AZ81 magnesium alloy was reinforced with Al 2O 3 nanoparticles using solidification processing followed by hot extrusion. The nanocomposite exhibited similar grain size and hardness to the monolithic alloy, reasonable nanoparticle distribution and non-dominant (0 0 0 2) texture in the longitudinal direction. Compared to the monolithic alloy in both tension and compression, the nanocomposite exhibited higher failure strain (+66% and +18%, respectively) without significant compromise in strength, and higher energy absorbed until fracture (EA) (+71% and +12%, respectively). The beneficial effects of Al 2O 3 nanoparticle addition on the tensile and compressive ductility enhancement of AZ81 alloy is discussed in this paper. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.