Toward strength-ductility synergy in ultrafine-grained ZrB2/2024Al nanocomposites achieved by submerged FSP and artificial aging

To improve the ductility of ultrafine-grained Al alloys, a simple and effective approach was developed to incorporate low-density ZrB2 nanoparticles and high-density S′ precipitates into the 2024Al matrix through submerged FSP and subsequent aging. The resultant nanocomposite exhibits significant work-hardening, thereby achieving superior strength-ductility synergy during uniaxial tensile tests at room temperature.