{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,5]],"date-time":"2025-11-05T14:24:51Z","timestamp":1762352691967,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":57,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,4]],"date-time":"2025-11-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1762214400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004972","name":"Arak University","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["-"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["-"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004972","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JMMP"],"abstract":"<jats:p>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 the Al matrix in two ways. First, without any treatment and in the form of a 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 the FSP tool to produce a local AMC. To investigate the kinetics of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) growth in reinforcement particles, the produced AMCs were annealed at 500 \u00b0C for 2 h. To characterize the reinforcing particles, several analyses were performed on the samples. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) was used to study the size, morphology, and IMC thickness. TEM was performed to characterize the IMCs through high-resolution chemical analyses. Tensile testing was used to understand the mechanical properties and fracture behavior of AMCs. Tensile testing revealed a noticeable improvement in strength for the as-mixed sample, with a UTS of 90.3 MPa, approximately 22% higher than that of the base aluminum. In contrast, the mechanical alloying sample with annealing heat treatment exhibited a severe drop in ductility, with elongation decreasing from 17.98% in the as-mixed sample to 1.52%. The results showed that heat treatment thickened 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, IMC formation during FSP was significantly suppressed compared to that of as-mixed particles, despite the finer size resulting from milling. Additionally, the heat treatment resulted in only a slight increase in IMC thickness. The IMC layer thickness after heat treatment in both the mechanically alloyed sample and the as-mixed sample was approximately 2 \u00b5m and 20\u201340 \u00b5m, respectively. The reason behind this difference and its effect on the fracture behavior of the composite were elaborated in this study, giving insights into metal-matrix production with controlled reaction.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jmmp9110364","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,5]],"date-time":"2025-11-05T07:58:05Z","timestamp":1762329485000},"page":"364","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Hindering Effect of Solid-Solutioning on Intermetallic Growth in Aluminum\u2013Matrix Composite Reinforced with Mechanically Alloyed Ni-Cu Particles"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"9","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-6181-9938","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Masih Bolhasani","family":"Hesari","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Materials Engineering and Metallurgy, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Arak 3815688349, Iran"}]},{"given":"Reza","family":"Beygi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Materials Engineering and Metallurgy, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Arak 3815688349, Iran"}]},{"given":"Ali","family":"Bayrami","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Materials Engineering and Metallurgy, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Arak 3815688349, Iran"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9478-9783","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohammad Mehdi","family":"Kasaei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (INEGI), Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6187-8592","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Majid Zarezade","family":"Mehrizi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Materials Engineering and Metallurgy, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Arak 3815688349, Iran"}]},{"given":"Eduardo A. S.","family":"Marques","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3272-4591","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lucas F. M.","family":"da Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"114","DOI":"10.1016\/j.surfcoat.2016.11.060","article-title":"Surface modifications of an aluminum-magnesium alloy through reactive stir friction processing with titanium oxide nanoparticles for enhanced sliding wear resistance","volume":"309","author":"Khodabakhshi","year":"2017","journal-title":"Surf. Coat. 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