MXene-assisted interface engineering for strengthening aluminium matrix composites via high-pressure torsion

Journal of Alloys and Compounds, vol. 1051, pp. 186026

Abstract

Owing to its intrinsic two-dimensional structure, combined with its functionalized surfaces and superior mechanical properties, Ti 3 C 2 T x (MXene) has emerged as a highly attractive candidate for reinforcing aluminium matrix composites (AMCs) in advanced structural applications. In this study, few-layer MXene (FMXene) was successfully incorporated into pure aluminium via an electrostatic self-assembly strategy followed by high-pressure torsion (HPT) processing at room temperature. The microstructure evolution of FMXene-Al composites was systematically investigated, revealing that this integrated processing strategy effectively induced grain refinement and facilitated the homogeneous dispersion of FMXene. The microhardness of the FMXene-Al composites increased with both the number of HPT turns and the FMXene content (wt.%), reaching a maximum value of approximately 140 HV. Notably, a favourable trade-off between strength and ductility was achieved at an FMXene content of 0.5 wt.%, where the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) reached 290 MPa while retaining appreciable ductility of ~ 1%. This work provides valuable insights into the development of nanostructured, high-performance AMCs via room temperature, interface-engineered processing routes.

Authors 7

1. Jing Ye

   Bournemouth University

   Affiliation as printed

   School of Computing and Engineering, Faculty of Media, Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, Poole BH12 5BB, UK

2. Abdel-Rahman El-Sayed Aachen Steel Institute

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Steel Institute, RWTH Aachen University, 52072, Aachen, Germany

3. Tarek Allam

   Forschungszentrum Jülich

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Energy Materials and Devices, Structure and Function of Materials (IMD-1), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany

4. Walaa Abd-Elaziem

   Northwestern University · Zagazig University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA

   Department of Mechanical Design and Production Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University, P.O. Box 44519, Egypt

5. Ali Reza Kamali
6. Amr M. Abdelkader corresponding

   Bournemouth University

   Affiliation as printed

   School of Computing and Engineering, Faculty of Media, Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, Poole BH12 5BB, UK

7. Yi Huang corresponding

   Bournemouth University

   Affiliation as printed

   School of Computing and Engineering, Faculty of Media, Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, Poole BH12 5BB, UK