Aluminum matrix composites (AMC) are attractive structural materials for automotive and aerospace applications. Lightweight, environmental resistance, high specific strength and stiffness, and good wear resistance are promising characteristics that encourage research and development activities in AMC in order to extend their applications. Powder metallurgy techniques like mechanical alloying (MA) are an alternative way to design metal matrix composites, as they are able to achieve a homogeneous distribution of well dispersed particles inside the metal matrix. In this work, aluminum has been reinforced with particles of MA956, which is an oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) iron base alloy (Fe-Cr-Al) of high Young’s modulus and that incorporates a small volume fraction of nanometric yttria particles introduced by mechanical alloying. The aim of this work is to investigate the use of MA to produce AMC reinforced with 5 and 10 vol.% of MA956 alloy particles. Homogeneous composite powders were obtained after 20 h of milling. The evolution of morphology and particle size of composite powders was the typical observed in MA. The composite powders produced with 10 vol.% MA956 presented a more accentuated decrease in particle size during the milling, reaching 37 μm after 50 h. The thermal stability of the composite and the existence of interface reactions were investigated aiming further high temperature consolidation processing. Heat treatment at 420 °C resulted in partial reaction between matrix and reinforcement particles, while at 570 °C the extension of reaction was complete, with formation in both cases of Al-rich intermetallic phases.

High strength AA7050 aluminum alloy was processed by ECAP through route A in the T7451 condition. Samples were processed at 423 K, with 1 and 3 passes. The resulting microstructure was evaluated by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The phases were identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) using monochromatic Cu Kα radiation. Rockwell B hardness and tensile tests were performed for assessment of mechanical properties. The microstructure was refined by the formation of deformation bands, with dislocation cells and elongated subgrains, with an average width of 240 nm, inside these bands. The number of deformation bands increased with the number of passes. A reduction of precipitates size was observed with increase in the number of passes, when compared to initial condition, probably resulting from particle fragmentation during ECAP. After three passes the precipitates tend to a more equiaxed morphology and have sizes smaller than 10 nm. Phases Η' and Η coexist in the microstructure, but Η is the dominant phase, mainly after three passes. The hardness of alloy after the first pass of ECAP is almost equal to the initial condition. After three passes the hardness showed a slight reduction which must be result from recovery process. There was a slight improvement in the yield strength and elongation after one pass, when compared to the initial T7451 condition. The improvement in the ultimate tensile strength was less significant.