Solidification of particle-reinforced metal-matrix composites

The solidification behavior of ceramic particle-reinforced metal-matrix composites (MMCs) is different from that of the bare matrix, not only because of the presence of the ceramic particles, but also due to their redistribution in the melt that results in nonhomogeneous thermophysical properties. The MMCs comprised of 10-to 15-μm SiC particles of varying volume fractions, dispersed uniformly in a modified aluminum A356 alloy by the melt stirring technique, were solidified unidirectionally in a thermocouple-instrumented cylindrical steel mold. The cooling rates were continually monitored by measuring temperatures at different depths in the melt, and the solidified MMCs were sectioned into disks and chemically analyzed for SiC volume fraction. The results point out that the cooling rate increased with increasing volume fraction of SiC particles. A small increase in the bulk SiC volume fraction of the cast MMC was observed due to particle settling during solidification. A one-dimensional enthalpy model of MMC solidification was formulated, wherein particle settling occurring in the solidifying matrix was coupled to the enthalpy equation by means of the Richardson-Zaki hindered settling correlation. A comparative study of simulations with experiments suggested that the thermal response of SiC particles used in this study was similar to that of single crystals, and their presence increased the effective thermal conductivity of the composite.     

Analysis of elastothermodynamic damping in particle-reinforced metal-matrix composites

When a composite material is subjected to a homogeneous or inhomogeneous stress field, different phases undergo different temperature fluctuations due to the well-known thermoelastic effect. As a result, irreversible heat conduction occurs and entropy is produced. This entropy production is the genesis of elastothermodynamic damping. Recently, taking the second law of thermodynamics as a starting point, a general methodology for calculating the elasto-thermodynamic damping was presented by Kinra and Milligan. Using this method, we calculate the elastothermodynamic damping for two canonical problems concerning particle-reinforced metal-matrix composites: (1) a single spherical inclusion in an unbounded matrix and (2) anN layer finite concentric composite sphere. In both cases, a uniform radial time-harmonic loading is considered. This article is based on a presentation given in the Mechanics and Mechanisms of Material Damping Symposium, October 1993, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, under the auspices of the SMD Physical Metallurgy Committee.     

Work of fracture in aluminum metal-matrix composites

The effect of isothermal exposure and thermal cycling on the toughness of B/Al (1100), B/Al (6061), and A1₂O₃/A1 composites has been investigated. In B/Al (1100), isothermal exposure at 773 K for 45 × 10⁴ s (125 hours) reduced toughness, measured by the work of fracture, from 76 kJm^-2 to 10 kJm^-2, and a similar reduction occurred after equivalent thermal cycling. The corresponding reduction in toughness after isothermal exposure in B/Al (6061) was from 44.5 kJm^-2 to 8 kJm^-2; however, the effect of thermal cycling was less detrimental. In the FP-A1₂O³/A1 composite, the work of fracture was insensitive to both forms of thermal treatment. Changes in the toughness of the B/Al composites have been correlated with and analyzed in terms of modifications to matrix, fiber, and interface properties, in particular, matrix softening, interface reaction products, and fiber notch sensitivity. The latter currently on The latter currently on     

原位SiC颗粒增强MoSi_2基复合材料室温断裂韧度的效果与机制

以钼、硅、碳粉末为原料,采用湿法混合和原位反应热压一次复合工艺制备纯MoSi2及含原位SiC颗粒体积分数为40%的SiCP/MoSi2复合材料试样,并研究其显微结构和室温断裂韧度.结果表明,原位SiC使MoSi2基体晶粒得到明显细化,消除了脆性SiO2玻璃相,并阻碍SiCP/MoSi2复合材料断裂时的裂纹扩展而造成裂纹的偏转和桥接,最终使SiCP/MoSi2的室温断裂韧度比纯MoSi2有了大幅度的提高,达到4.91 MPa.m1/2.     

Stress and strain localization three-dimensional modeling for particle-reinforced metal matrix composites

The ductility of particle-reinforced metal matrix composites (PR MMCs) is reduced by the localization of stress and strain, which is exacerbated by microstructural heterogeneity, especially particle clustering. Herein, the effect of particle distribution on the macroscopic and microscopic response has been studied using three distinct types of three-dimensional (3D) finite-element model: a repeating unit cell, a multiparticle model, and a clustered particle model. While the repeating unit cell model represents a cubic periodic array of particles, the multiparticle model represents a random distribution of particles contained in a cube of matrix material, and the clustered particle model represents an artificially clustered distribution of particles. These models were used to study the macroscopic tensile stress-strain response as well as the underlying stress and strain fields. The results indicate that a clustered microstructure leads to a stiffer response with more hardening than that of random and periodic microstructures. Plastic flow and hydrostatic stress localization in the matrix and maximum principal stress localization in the particles are significantly higher in the clustered microstructure. Damage is expected to initiate in the cluster regions leading to low ductility. This article is based on a presentation made in the symposium entitled “Three Dimensional Materials Science” during the 2003 MS&T ’03: Materials Science & Technology Conference 2003 in Chicago, Illinois, on November 11–12, 2003, under the auspices of the ASM/MSCTS: Materials Science Critical Technology Sector Committee and the TMS/SMD: Structural Materials Division Committee.     

Porosity nucleation in metal-matrix composites

The mechanism of porosity nucleation in pressure infiltration casting of metal-matrix composites (MMCs) is investigated. Five interfacial configurations are investigated for a variety of matrix/reinforcement systems. Interfaces with negative curvature such as cavity are found to be potential sites for porosity formation. The Al/Al₂O₃ system is most susceptible to porosity nucleation for the systems considered. Appropriate matrix alloying such as Mg in the Al/Al₂O₃ system and Mg and Cu in the Al/SiC system and reinforcement coatings such as Cu coating on SiC significantly reduce the contact angle, enhance wettability at the interface, and could be effective for suppressing porosity formation. Other effective methods include careful control of the cooling condition as well as the applied pressure.     

Effects of thickness and precracking on the fracture toughness of particle-reinforced al-alloy composites

The effect of specimen thickness on the fracture toughness of a powder metallurgically processed 7093 Al/SiC/15p composite was evaluated in different microstructural conditions. The fracture toughness in the underaged condition increased significantly with a decrease in specimen thickness, even at thicknesses well below the value specified by ASTM-E 813 for a valid J _Ic test. The influence of thickness was considerably lower in the peak-aged (PA) condition. This relative insensitivity is believed to be due to the low strain to failure associated with severe flow localization in the PA condition. The effect of precracking on the fracture toughness of discontinuously reinforced aluminum (DRA) was also evaluated. The dependence of fracture toughness on specimen thickness and precracking is explained in terms of the hydrostatic stress, which has a strong influence on the plastic straining capability of the DRA material. The fracture toughness was modeled using a critical strain formulation, with the void growth strain dependent on hydrostatic stress through the Rice and Tracey model. The predicted toughnesses for the thick and thin specimens were in good agreement with the experimental data.     

The quasi-static and cyclic fatigue fracture behavior of 2014 aluminum alloy metal-matrix composites

In this article, the quasi-static and cyclic fatigue fracture behavior of aluminum alloy 2014 discontinuously reinforced with fine particulates of aluminum oxide are presented and discussed. The discontinuous particulate-reinforced 2014 aluminum alloy was cyclically deformed under fully reversed, tension-compression loading over a range of strain amplitudes, well within the plastic domain of the engineering stress-strain curve, resulting in cyclic fatigue lives of less than 10⁴ cycles. The influence of both ambient and elevated temperatures on cyclic stress and cyclic stress-strain response is highlighted. The underlying mechanisms governing the fracture mode during quasi-static and cyclic fatigue are discussed and rationalized in light of the concurrent and mutually interactive influences of intrinsic composite microstructural features, deformation characteristics of the metal matrix and reinforcement particulate, cyclic strain amplitude and resultant fatigue life, and test temperature. This article is based on a presentation made in the Symposium “Mechanisms and Mechanics of Composites Facture” held October 11–15, 1998, at the TMS Fall Meeting in Rosemont, Illinois, under the auspices of the TMS-SMD/ASM-MSCTS Composite Materials Committee.     

The quasi-static and cyclic fatigue fracture behavior of 2014 aluminum alloy metal-matrix composites

In this article, the quasi-static and cyclic fatigue fracture behavior of aluminum alloy 2014 discontinuously reinforced with fine particulates of aluminum oxide are presented and discussed. The discontinuous particulate-reinforced 2014 aluminum alloy was cyclically deformed under fully reversed, tension-compression loading over a range of strain amplitudes, well within the plastic domain of the engineering stress-strain curve, resulting in cyclic fatigue lives of less than 10⁴ cycles. The influence of both ambient and elevated temperatures on cyclic stress and cyclic stress-strain response is highlighted. The underlying mechanisms governing the fracture mode during quasi-static and cyclic fatigue are discussed and rationalized in light of the concurrent and mutually interactive influences of intrinsic composite microstructural features, deformation characteristics of the metal matrix and reinforcement particulate, cyclic strain amplitude and resultant fatigue life, and test temperature. This article is based on a presentation made in the Symposium “Mechanisms and Mechanics of Composites Fracture” held October 11–15, 1998, at the TMS Fall Meeting in Rosemont, Illinois, under the auspices of the TMS-SMD/ASM-MSCTS Composite Materials Committee.     

Micromechanics effects in creep of metal-matrix composites

The creep of metal-matrix composites is analyzed by finite element techniques. An axisymmetric unit-cell model with spherical reinforcing particles is used. Parameters appropriate to TiC particles in a precipitation-hardened (2219) Al matrix are chosen. The effects of matrix plasticity and residual stresses on the creep of the composite are calculated. We confirm (1) that the steady-state rate is independent of the particle elastic moduli and the matrix elastic and plastic properties, (2) that the ratio of composite to matrix steady-state rates depends only on the volume fraction and geometry of the reinforcing phase, and (3) that this ratio can be determined from a calculation of the stress-strain relation for the geometrically identical composite (same phase volume and geometry) with rigid particles in the appropriate power-law hardening matrix. The values of steady-state creep are compared to experimental ones (Krajewskiet al.). Continuum mechanics predictions give a larger reduction of the composite creep relative to the unreinforced material than measured, suggesting that the effective creep rate of the matrix is larger than in unreinforced precipitation-hardened Al due to changes in microstructure, dislocation density, or creep mechanism. Changes in matrix creep properties are also suggested by the comparison of calculated and measured creep strain rates in the primary creep regime, where significantly different time dependencies are found. It is found that creep calculations performed for a timeindependent matrix creep law can be transformed to obtain the creep for a time-dependent creep law. This article is based on a presentation made in the symposium entitled “Creep and Fatigue in Metal Matrix Composites” at the 1994 TMS/ASM Spring meeting, held February 28–March 3, 1994, in San Francisco, California, under the auspices of the joint TMS-SMD/ASM-MSD Composite Materials Committee.     

金属基复合材料的发展及其应用

金属基复合材料是近几年来复合材料研究中的热点.文章综述了金属基复合材料的分类、性能特点、制备方法,总结了其主要进展及应用.     

Pressureless infiltration of aluminum metal-matrix composites

Pressureless infiltration of ceramic preforms by molten aluminum is described. The preforms are SiC with varying amounts of particulate Al, Ti, and Ni. Infiltrants employed are pure Al and Al-12.5 wt pct Si. It is shown that a pressure differential within the preform is required for infiltration, and measurements are made of pressure changes in the preforms during infiltration. Results indicate that atmospheric pressure is essential for infiltration but that capillarity may play a role as well. T. NUKAMI, formerly Research Assistant, Massachusetts Institute of Technology     

Analysis of damping in particle-reinforced superplastic zinc composites

The damping behavior of superplastic zinc (SPZ) particulate composites with up to 42.5 vol pct spherical TiC particles (3 Μm in diameter) was studied in the 25 ‡C to 330 ‡C temperature range using a low frequency torsion pendulum. The observed damping at room temperature was modeled as a combination of a diffusion-controlled dislocation relaxation and a grain boundary relaxation. Addition of TiC produced a lower dislocation damping contribution at room temperature, but this loss was offset by an increased contribution from the grain boundary relaxation. An increase in the elastic modulus was also observed for the composite. The validity of a theoretical model for predicting changes in the grain boundary relaxation peak temperature resulting from the introduction of large nondeforming particles was tested. This study demonstrates that grain sliding in SPZ alloys occurs by cooperative sliding of grain clusters containing three to five grains. The activation energy for this process was found to be 111 kJ/mole (1.15 eV), which is in agreement with previously published values for grain sliding in SPZ. A second internal friction peak at a temperature just below the eutectoid transformation temperature was also observed and this peak was associated with recrystallization.     

Fatigue crack growth in fiber-reinforced metal-matrix composites

Fatigue crack growth in fiber-reinforced metal-matrix composites is modeled based on a crack tip shielding analysis. The fiber/matrix interface is assumed to be weak, allowing interfacial debonding and sliding to occur readily during matrix cracking. The presence of intact fibers in the wake of the matrix crack shields the crack tip from the applied stresses and reduces the stress intensity factors and the matrix crack growth rate. Two regimes of fatigue cracking have been simulated. The first is the case where the applied load is low, so that all the fibers between the original notch tip and the current crack tip remain intact. The crack growth rate decreases markedly with crack extension, and approaches a “steady-state”. The second regime occurs if the fibers fail when the stress on them reaches a unique fiber strength. The fiber breakage reduces the shielding contribution, resulting in a significant acceleration in the crack growth rate. It is suggested that a criterion based on the onset of fiber failure may be used for a conservative lifetime prediction. The results of the calculations have been summarized in calibrated functions which represent the crack tip stress intensity factor and the applied load for fiber failure.     

TiC颗粒增强铜基复合材料的研究

以电解铜粉和TiC粉为原料, 采用粉末冶金法制备了增强体质量分数为5%、10%、15%、20%的TiC颗粒增强铜基复合材料。通过对显微组织的观察和对相对密度、硬度、电导率、磨损率、摩擦系数的测试, 研究了增强相质量分数、烧结温度对复合材料组织性能的影响。研究结果表明, TiC颗粒除少量团聚外均匀分布在基体上, 并与基体结合良好; 随烧结温度升高, 铜基复合材料的密度和硬度均有所增加; 随增强相质量分数的增加, 硬度增加, 相对密度和电导率均有所下降; 磨损率则表现为先降低后有所增加的趋势, 磨损率在TiC质量分数为15%时最低; 铜基复合材料的摩擦系数明显低于纯铜, 其磨损机制主要以磨粒磨损为主。     

Mechanical behavior of Al-Li/SiC composites: Part III. Micromechanical modeling

A micromechanical model is developed to compute the stress-strain curve of particle-reinforced metal-matrix composites under monotonic and cyclic deformation. The composite was modeled as a three-dimensional array of hexagonal prisms, each containing an intact or fractured reinforcement. The average stresses acting on the intact and damaged cells — as well as on the ceramic particles — were computed from the finite-element analysis of axisymmetric cylindrical cells, and the overall composite response was then calculated through an isostrain approach. The model was validated against the experimental results, reported in Parts I and II of this article, for an 8090 Al alloy reinforced with 15 vol pct SiC particles,^[1,2] where the matrix and reinforcement properties were obtained from mechanical tests on the unreinforced alloy and from quantitative microscopy analyses of the fraction of broken reinforcements in the composite. The critical mechanisms which controlled the deformation and damage processes in the composite during monotonic and cyclic deformation are discussed in light of the model results.     

Effect of overaging and particle size on tensile deformation and fracture of particle-reinforced aluminum matrix composites

The effect of reinforcement particle size and overaging treatment on the tensile behavior and fracture morphology of a 2080/SiC/20 _p composite was investigated. Tensile behavior was profoundly influenced by particle size and matrix strength. The composite strength increased with a decrease in particle size, while overaging greatly reduced the strength of the composite, independent of particle size. Almost all particles on the fracture plane were fractured, and the amount of particle fracture in the composites was insensitive to overaging and particle size, due to the excellent bonding between SiC particles and the Al matrix. Fractography showed that void nucleation in the matrix of peak-aged composites took place primarily at very fine SiC particles, which were much smaller than the average SiC particle size. Subsequent failure took place by the tearing topography surface (TTS) mechanism. In the overaged composite, composites failed by a more conventional void nucleation and growth process, where void nucleation took place at coarsened S precipitate particles, resulting in smaller and more elongated voids.