Abstract:The influence of processing variables on the mechanical properties of a nanostructured Al-10wt.%Cu alloy was investigated. Stress-strain microprobe^？ system (SSM) and its automated ball indentation^？ (ABI^？) test were used for evaluating the mechanical properties of this alloy. The tests were conducted at 21 °C on the bulk samples that were mechanically alloyed for 6 h at two ball-to-powder mass ratios (BPR) of 30:1 and 90:1. Furthermore, the tests were conducted at 200 and 400 °C on the samples that were processed at BPR of 90:1. Increasing BPR resulted in raising the final indentation load from (316±26) to (631±9) N and reducing the final indentation depth from 111 to 103 μm. Regarding the samples that were processed at BPR of 90:1, increasing the test temperature from 21 to 400 °C resulted in decreasing the final load from (631±9) to (125±1) N and increasing the final depth from 103 to (116±1) μm. The sample processed at BPR of 90:1 and tested at 21 °C revealed the highest strength and the least deformability while the sample processed at BPR of 90:1 and tested at 400 °C exhibited the lowest strength and the greatest deformability, as compared to all samples under study.

Key words: Al-Cu alloy; ball milling; automated ball indentation^？ (ABI^？); mechanical properties; test temperature