Elastic Energy Storage in Al–Al4C3 Composites: Effects of Dislocation Character and Interfacial Graphite Formation

Al-Al₄C₃ composites exhibit promising mechanical properties including high specific strength, high specific stiffness. However, high reinforcement contents often promote brittle behavior, making it necessary to understand the mechanisms governing their limited toughness. In this work, a microstructural and mechanical study was carried out to evaluate the energy storage capacity in Al-Al₄C₃ composites fabricated by mechanical milling followed by heat treatment using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Convolutional Multiple Whole Profile (CMWP) fitting method, the microstructural parameters governing the initial stored energy after fabrication were determined: dislocation density (<i>ρ</i>), dislocation character (<i>q</i>), and effective outer cut-off radius (R_e). Compression tests were carried out to quantify the elastic energy stored during loading (Es). The energy absorption efficiency (<i>EAE</i>) in the elastic region of the stress-strain curve was evaluated with respect to the elastic energy density per unit volume stored (<i>Ee</i>), obtained from microstructural parameters (<i>ρ</i>, <i>q</i>, and <i>Re</i>) present in the samples after fabrication and determined by XRD. A predictive model is proposed that expresses <i>Es</i> as a function of <i>Ee</i> and <i>q</i>, where the parameter <i>q</i> is critical for achieving quantitative agreement between both energy states. In general, samples with high <i>EAE</i> exhibited microstructures dominated by screw-character dislocations. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analyses revealed graphite regions near Al₄C₃ nanorods-formed during prolonged sintering-which, together with the thermal mismatch between Al and graphite during cooling, promote the formation of screw dislocations, their dissociation into extended partials, and the development of stacking faults. These mechanisms enhance the redistribution of stored energy and contribute to improved toughness of the composite.