Simultaneously increased strength and ductility via the hierarchically heterogeneous structure of Al-Mg-Si alloys/nanocomposite

IMPACT STATEMENT A hierarchical structure with the layered distribution of nanosized TiC particles (TiCp) was obtained through the master alloy-casting process and accumulative roll bonding process. Significant improvement in strength was obtained with no loss in ductility. The increase in strength usually accompanies with ductility loss in structural materials. We proposed a novel approach to the design and fabrication of hierarchically structured Al-Mg-Si alloys/nanocomposites with improved strength and ductility. The layered distribution of TiC nanoparticles (TiCp), bimodal-sized grains and precipitates were produced in a laminated composite composed of Al-Mg-Si matrix alloy and TiCp/Al-Mg-Si composite by accumulative roll bonding (ARB), increasing yield strength from 380 MPa to 443 MPa with a uniform elongation from 5.0% to 6.4%, compared to the ARB TiCp/Al-Mg-Si composite. This work provides a new strategy for producing high strength composite sheets for industrial applications.