In the present study, aluminum matrix composites (AMCs) were fabricated by friction stir processing (FSP) using Ni-Cu particles. Ni-Cu particles were added to Al matrix in two ways. First, without any treatment and in the form of mixture of as-received powders. Second, treated through mechanical alloying to form Monel solid-solution particles. The particles were added to a groove to be processed by FSP tool to produce a local AMC. To investigate the kinetics of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) growths in reinforcement particles, the produced AMCs were annealed at 500°c for 2 hours. To characterize the reinforcing particles several analyses were performed on the samples. FE-SEM was used to study the size, morphology, and IMCs thickness. TEM was used to characterize the IMCs through high resolution chemical analyses. Tensile testing was used to understand the mechanical properties and fracture behavior of AMCs. The results showed that heat treatment thickens the IMC layer around the reinforcing particles formed during the FSP process with as-mixed particles. In the AMC reinforced with mechanically-alloyed Ni-Cu powders, no IMC was formed around the particlesduringFSPprocess,thoughtheparticleswere¿ner.Also,theheattreatmentcausedonly aslightincreaseinIMCthickness.Thereasonbehindthisdierenceanditseectonthefracture behavior of the composite were elaborated in this study, giving insights to metal-matrix production with controlled reaction.
