Study on microstructure and mechanical properties of Fe-based amorphous particle-reinforced Al-based matrix composites

Fe52Cr15Mo26C3B1Y3 amorphous particle-reinforced pure aluminum (Al) matrix composite was prepared by powder metallurgy. The ferrum (Fe)-based amorphous particles prepared by atomization method have good amorphous structure, and the circular reinforcement particles are evenly distributed in the Al matrix. The composite has high strength, hardness, and excellent corrosion resistance. The hardness of the composite increases gradually with the increase in the content of the reinforcement, from 46 Vickers hardness (HV) of pure Al to 220.5 HV, with remarkable effect. The tensile strength of the composite increases first and then decreases with the increase in the content of the reinforcement. When the content of reinforcement is 15%, the maximum tensile strength is 234 MPa, which is 154% higher than that of pure Al. The fracture mode of the composite is the mixture of plastic fracture and brittle fracture. The corrosion resistance of pure Al is significantly improved by the addition of reinforcements, which shows that the composite has a smaller corrosion current density and a more positive corrosion potential than that of pure Al.