{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,12]],"date-time":"2025-10-12T03:23:15Z","timestamp":1760239395204,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":17,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,10,25]],"date-time":"2020-10-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1603584000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["UIDB\/00285\/2020","UIDB\/50022\/2020","UIDP\/50022\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/00285\/2020","UIDB\/50022\/2020","UIDP\/50022\/2020"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Metals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The strengthening effect on aluminium (Al) by ultrafine particles of tungsten carbide (WC) after compacting and sintering was evaluated. The Al-1 vol.% WC mixture was prepared through a high-speed stirring technique, called assisted sonication. In this study, the effects of compacting, sintering temperature and holding time were evaluated by composite microstructural characterization and by mechanical tests. The characterizations involved electron dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques for phase identification; electron backscattered diffraction for crystallographic analysis; backscattered electrons and secondary electrons imaging for failure and wear studies. In all composites, hardness was determined; for the hardest composite, the tensile strength, flexural strength and ball scattering wear resistance were also evaluated. The Al-1 vol.% WC composite produced by assisted sonication, densified by cold compacting at 152 MPa and sintered at 640 \u00b0C for 2 h at 5 \u00d7 10\u22124 Pa (high vacuum) exhibited the highest hardness, associated with an acceptable ductile behavior. This strengthening was associated with the formation of Al12W and grain refinement.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/met10111416","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,10,26]],"date-time":"2020-10-26T02:34:54Z","timestamp":1603679694000},"page":"1416","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Characterization of Sintered Aluminium Reinforced with Ultrafine Tungsten Carbide Particles"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6722-1866","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Omid","family":"Emadinia","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"LAETA\/INEGI, Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9981-3826","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Teresa","family":"Vieira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Processes, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Pinhal de Marrocos, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3667-0562","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manuel Fernando","family":"Vieira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"LAETA\/INEGI, Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,10,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5775","DOI":"10.1016\/j.actamat.2003.08.023","article-title":"Progress in structural materials for aerospace systems1","volume":"51","author":"Williams","year":"2003","journal-title":"Acta Mater."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3032","DOI":"10.1016\/j.matpr.2015.07.290","article-title":"Advanced Aluminium Matrix Composites: The Critical Need of Automotive and Aerospace Engineering Fields","volume":"2","author":"Koli","year":"2015","journal-title":"Mater. 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