Production of Al5083-Al2O3 metal base composite using accumulative roll bonding

Abstract

The strength of aluminum Al5083 laminated composite in accumulative roll bonding (ARB) is increased using Al2O3 nanoparticles. For this purpose, the ARB process was conducted at room temperature without lubricants in four consecutive passes. A thickness reduction of 50% in each pass was considered with no heat treatment between sequential passes. In each pass, Al2O3 nanoparticles were placed between the layers. Finally, the produced metal composite was evaluated for microstructural and mechanical properties using optical microscopy, and uniaxial tensile, microhardness, and peeling tests according to the relevant standards. The primary objective of this research was to enhance the tensile strength of the composite after work hardening by incorporating nanoparticles and annealing in the final cycle. The results showed that with an increase in accumulative roll bonding cycles, tensile strength and hardness increased, and this increase occurred more prominently in the initial cycles. Furthermore, the amount of elongation decreased at the end of the first pass and then increased until the end of the fourth pass. These changes in mechanical properties during the ARB process are due to the dominant mechanisms of work hardening and strain hardening in the initial cycles and the improvement in microstructure and refinement of grains in the final cycles of this process. The highest tensile strength and microhardness, which increased by 48.1% and 55.9%, respectively, compared to the initial sample were measured at the end of the fourth cycle. Additionally, comparing the heat-treated sample with Al2O3 nanoparticles to the base metal showed a 34.9% increase in strength and a 30.8% decrease in elongation.