ABSTRACT

Metal-matrix composite (MMC) materials (in recent years also metal-matrix nanocomposite materials [MMNC]) have attracted the attention of researchers and industry since the 1950s. Composite materials with micron-scale particles demonstrate improved properties based on the mixture rule, i.e., increased hardness, elastic modulus, strength, size, and thermal stability. The amount of reinforcement introduced varies typically between 5 and 20 vol% or wt%. Nanosized particles have the advantage of a lesser required load (<1 wt%) and additional strengthening on the microscopic level, e.g., by Orowan hardening and the pinning of grain boundaries.