Abstract
Poor dispersion of nanodiamonds (NDs) is the bottleneck to exploit their intrinsically excellent properties in metal matrix composites (MMCs). In this study, a strategy of surface modification was developed to uniformly disperse ND particles into 2024 aluminum alloy. Microstructure observations showed that individual NDs are closely contacted with the matrix, forming reaction-free interfaces. Consequently, a high-strength 0.8 vol% ND/2024A1 composite with an ultimate tensile strength of 741.0 MPa is developed. Theoretical and experimental measurements prove that the strength improvement of ND/2024A1 composite is mainly attributed to the Orowan strengthening, thermal mismatch strengthening and grain refinement strengthening. This work demonstrates the effective application of NDs as a reinforcement for MMCs towards high-specific-strength materials.
NSTL
Elsevier