Fabrication and characteristics of melt-spun Al ribbons reinforced with nano/micro-BN phases

Melt-spun aluminum ribbons with up to 5 wt.% of embedded nano/micro boron nitride (BN) phases, namely multiwalled BN nanotubes (BNNTs) or BN microparticles (BNMPs), were fabricated by melt-spinning in an argon atmosphere. The comparative structural characteristics were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and internal friction measurements as a function of temperature within an 80–800 K range. Room temperature tensile tests were carried out on ribbons. These revealed reinforcing effects on pure Al-matrices after nano/micro-BN embedment for both added phases with the notably higher numbers peculiar to the BNNT-containing samples. The intrastructural interactions between BN additions and Al-matrices are discussed based on the structural analysis and the internal friction data.