Improving Overall Mechanical Performance of Magnesium Using Nano‐Alumina Reinforcement and Energy Efficient Microwave Assisted Processing Route

Mg/Al2O3 nanocomposites were synthesized using microwave-assisted PM technique. Process evaluation revealed that microwave-assisted sintering lead to a reduction of 86% in sintering time and energy savings of 96% when compared to conventional sintering. Moreover, microwave-assisted sintering were carried out in air, in the absence of any protective atmosphere. Mg1.0Al2O3 formulation displayed the best overall improvement: (∼33% in 0.2%YS, ∼27% in UTS and ∼12% in work of fracture over pure magnesium.