Fabrication of alumina-based metal nanocomposites by pressureless sintering and their mechanical properties.

The processing conditions to prepare nano-sized Cu and Mo dispersed Al2O3 (Al2O3/Cu and Al2O3/Mo) composites by pressureless sintering were explored. The composite powders of Al2O3/Cu and Al2O3/Mo were obtained by the hydrogen reduction of Al2O3/CuO and Al2O3/MoO3 powder mixtures and consolidated by pressureless sintering using infrared heating furnace with a heating rate of 200 degrees C/min. SEM and TEM analyses for the composite showed that the nano-sized metal particles were well distributed and situated on the grain boundaries of the Al2O3 matrix. The nanocomposites, sintered at 1300 to 1500 degrees C for 4 min, showed the relative density of above 90%. Maximum hardness of 16.1 GPa was obtained in Al2O3/Cu nanocomposites with sintering additive of 1 wt% MgO. The sintered nanocomposites exhibited the enhanced fracture toughness of above 4.5 MPa x m(1/2), compared with monolithic Al2O3. The mechanical properties were discussed in terms of observed microstructural characteristics.