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.