Amin Ahangari Asl - School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, P.O. Box ۴۵۶۳-۱۱۱۵۵, Iran
Hasan Tavakoli - Department of Physics and Chemistry, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Imam Ali Officers University, Tehran, P.O. Box ۱۳۱۷۸۹۳۴۷۱

This research discusses the microstructural and mechanical properties of bimodal Al6063 composites consisting of an ultrafine-grained (UFG) matrix which are reinforced by SiC particles. In order to synthesize the composites, high-energy mechanical alloying method followed by a hot extrusion step was used. SiC particles with micro and nano dimensions were utilized to reinforce aluminum matrix. Optical micrograph (OM), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were performed to investigate the produced powders properties. SEM analysis showed a uniform reinforcement particles distribution in the aluminum matrix. The results of tension and compression tests indicated that adding micro-sized SiC particles to the aluminum matrix causes a significant rise (about 20%) in its tensile strength and addition of nano-sized SiC particles increases the tensile strength more than micro-sized particles (about27%). The simultaneously presence of micro and nano-sized particles in the aluminium matrix as a bimodal composite increases the tensile strength (about 37%).

mechanical properties; reinforcement particles; bimodal composites