Threshold creep behaviour of discontinuous aluminium and aluminium alloy matrix composites: An overview

Several sets of creep data for aluminium and aluminium alloy matrix composites reinforced by silicon carbide particulates, silicon carbide whiskers or alumina short fibres are analysed. It is shown that for this class of discontinuous composites the threshold creep behaviour is inherent. Applying the concept of threshold stress, the true stress exponent of minimum creep strain rate of approximately 5 follows from the analysis even when the matrix solid solution alloy exhibits Alloy Class creep behaviour, for which the value of 3 for the true stress exponent is typical. The creep strain rate in the discontinuous aluminium and aluminium alloy matrix composites is shown to be matrix lattice diffusion controlled. The usually observed high values of the apparent stress exponent of creep strain rate and the high values of the apparent activation energy of creep are then rationalized in terms of the threshold creep behaviour. However, the origin of the threshold stress decreasing with increasing temperature but not proportional to the shear modulus in creep of discontinuous aluminium and aluminium alloy matrix composites is still awaiting identification. The creep-strengthening effect of silicon carbide particulates, silicon carbide whiskers and alumina short fibres is shown to be significant, although the particulates, whiskers and short fibres do not represent effective obstacles to dislocation motion.     

Deformation mechanisms in an austenitic stainless steel (25Cr-20Ni) at elevated temperature

The creep behaviour at elevated temperature of an austenitic stainless steel (25Cr-20Ni), both with and without antimony additions, has been reanalysed. Formerly, the creep behaviour was interpreted by considering creep mechanisms based on diffusional (Coble) creep and threshold stresses. In the present paper, it is proposed that an alternative mechanism of grain boundary sliding, accommodated by slip in grain boundary mantle regions, can in fact be used to describe more accurately the creep behaviour. Quantitative predictions, based on phenomenological equations for describing creep controlled by grain boundary sliding, are made of the influences of grain size, stress and antimony addition on creep rates, and of the influence of grain size on the activation energy for creep of 25Cr-20Ni stainless steel. Comparison of these predictions with those based on creep models incorporating only diffusional flow are made. Furthermore, the existence of a threshold stress in creep of single-phase, massive materials is strongly questioned.     

Creep features of Al2O3-Al alloy composites

Creep features of two cast aluminium alloy composites reinforced by Al₂O₃ short fibres randomly oriented in the matrices have been studied at 300 °C and several stress levels. The presence of short-term negative creep in primary creep is an important feature for the composites, which resulted from randomly oriented fibres strongly resisting dislocation creep in the matrix. However, the negative creep magnitude depended on both the applied stress and the nature of the material. There was a critical stress for the presence of the short-term negative creep. When the applied stress had exceeded the critical value, the negative creep disappeared. Fibres traversing grain boundaries can reinforce and resist grain boundary sliding at elevated temperature. The effect of stress on creep rate for the composites is not so strong as that for unidirectional metallic matrix composites. During the creep, some intermetallic phases in the Al₂O₃/Al-5Si-3Cu-1 Mg composite were precipitated and most of them were segregated at grain boundaries, leading to a small increase of the creep rate.     

Superplastic power-law creep of Sn–40%Pb–2.5%Sb peritectic alloy

The power law-creep behavior of superplastic Sn–40Pb–2.5Sb alloys with different grain sizes has been investigated at room temperature. Stress exponent values for these alloys have been determined by indentation creep, conventional creep and uniaxial tension tests in order to evaluate the correspondence of indentation creep results with conventional tests. In all cases, the indentation results were in good agreement with each other and with those of the tensile and conventional creep tests. The average stress exponent values of about 2.6 and 3.0 corresponding to the strain rate sensitivity (SRS) indices of 0.33–0.39, depending on the grain size of the materials, indicate that the grain boundary sliding is the possible mechanism during creep deformation of Sn–Pb–Sb alloys. Within limits, the indentation tests are thus considered useful to acquire information on the creep behavior of small specimens of these soft tin–lead–antimony alloys at room temperature. It is also demonstrated that the indentation creep test provides a convenient method to measure SRS and thereby to assess the ability of a material to undergo superplastic deformation.     

Reference stress approach for predicting creep deformation of metal matrix composites

Abstract

A sound, mechanics based approach, using the reference stress concept, has been provided to allow the effects of volume ratio, fibre aspect ratio, and fibre spacing on the creep behaviour of uniaxial metal matrix composites to be quickly assessed. It is shown that fibres are much more effective than particles in reducing creep deformations. In addition, volume ratio and fibre aspect ratio have a large effect on creep properties, while fibre spacing has a relatively small effect. The existence of cracks at the ends of fibres is shown to reduce seriously the effectiveness of the reinforcement. The creep properties for loading in transverse directions are much lower than for loading in longitudinal directions.

MST/2059     

超声化学原位合成纳米Al_2O_3/6063Al复合材料组织及高温蠕变性能

为研究纳米颗粒增强铝基复合材料的高温蠕变特性,基于6063Al-Al2(SO4)3体系,采用超声化学原位合成技术,制备出不同Al2O3体积分数(5%、7%)的纳米Al2O3/6063Al复合材料,通过高温蠕变拉伸试验测试其高温蠕变性能,利用XRD、OM、SEM及TEM分析其微观形貌。结果表明:施加高能超声可显著细化增强体颗粒并提高其分布的均匀性,所生成的Al2O3增强颗粒以圆形或近六边形为主,尺寸为20~100nm;纳米Al2O3/6063Al复合材料的名义应力指数、表观激活能和门槛应力值与基体相比大幅提高,均随着增强体体积分数的增加而提高,表明纳米Al2O3/6063Al复合材料的抗蠕变性能提高;纳米Al2O3/6063Al复合材料的真应力指数为8,说明复合材料蠕变机制符合微结构不变模型,即受基体晶格扩散的控制;纳米Al2O3/6063Al复合材料的高温蠕变断口特征以脆性断裂为主,高应力下形成穿晶断裂,低应力下形成沿晶断裂和晶界孔洞;纳米Al2O3/6063Al复合材料的主要强化机制为位错强化与弥散强化。     

Creep in pure and two phase nickel-doped alumina

Creep in pure and two phase nickel-doped alumina has been investigated in the stress range 0.70 to 4.57 kgf mm^–2 (1000 to 6500 psi), and temperature range 1450 to 1800° C, for grain sizes from 15 to 45 m (pure alumina) and 15 to 30 um, (nickel-doped alumina). The effect of stress, grain size and temperature on the creep rate suggests that diffusion controlled grain-boundary sliding is the predominant creep mechanism at low stresses and small grain sizes. However, the stress exponents show that some non-viscous boundary sliding occurs even at the lowest stresses investigated. This mechanism is confirmed by metallographic evidence, which shows considerable boundary corrugation in the deformed aluminas. At higher stresses and larger grain sizes the localized propagation of microcracks leads to high stress exponents in the creep rate equation. The nickel dopant, which introduces an evenly distributed spinel second phase into the alumina matrix, increases the creep rate and enhances boundary sliding and localized crack propagation. The weakening effect of the second phase increases with grain size, and tertiary creep occurs at strains of 0.5% and below in large grained material.     

Creep Rupture Behavior of K40S Alloy at Elevated Temperatures

Creep testing was conducted on K40S alloy. The detailed creep deformation and fracture mechanisms under constant load were studied. The results show that the stress exponent ranges between 7 and 14.4 at elevated temperature 973~1173 K, and that the activation energy is approximately 449.1 kJ/mol. During creep, the grain boundary sliding cut off primary carbides at the boundary, generating the "O" model cracks. The creep failure mode of K40S alloy is transgranular ductile and cracks originate at the primary carbides. A long carbide and matrix interface is often a preferential path for crack propagation. The creep mechanism is discussed in light of the creep microstructure, the stress exponent and the activation energy.     

Application of a model for grain boundary sliding to high temperature flow of carrara marble

It has been demonstrated that grain boundary sliding may contribute up to 50 percent of the total strain during experimental, high temperature deformation of Carrara Marble (Schmid, Paterson and Boland, 1980), yet the creep behavior was characterized by a high stress exponent and an apparent thermal dependence related to volume diffusion of carbon in calcite. By adopting the model of Gifkins (1976, 1977) for dislocation accommodated grain boundary sliding, incorporating Nabarro's model of creep by climbing edge dislocations (Weertman, 1975) and using the experimentally determined relationship between stress and subgrain (recrystallized grain) size, a model is developed which fits the high temperature creep data very well. In effect, the model assumes that deformation occurs by a combination of climb of edge dislocations and dislocation accommodated grain boundary sliding. It is shown that the model can be easily and reasonably extended to include creep by climb-controlled dislocation glide.     

THE EFFECT OF INTERFACIAL PROPERTIES ON THE FLOW STRENGTH OF DISCONTINUOUS REINFORCED METAL-MATRIX COMPOSITES

Abstract

The effect of interfacial properties on the strength of discontinuous reinforced metal-matrix composites is systematically studied by theoretical modelling. The calculations were carried out within the framework of continuum plasticity theory using cell models and the finite element method. A wide range of inclusion aspect ratios, volume fractions, and interfacial strengths were investigated for perfectly plastic and hardening matrices. Interfaces were modelled either as strongly bonded, or as shearable but strong normal to the inclusions, or as debonding at the reinforcement ends but strong on the sides. Additionally, the effects of reinforcement arrangement and extensive damage to continuous fibre composites were addressed. Debonding at the ends of the inclusions was found to have the most deleterious effect on the strength of the composite. When debonding does not occur but interface sliding takes place freely, an amount of strengthening is seen which is a function of the inclusion volume fraction but is primarily independent of the inclusion aspect ratio. For extensively damaged continuous fibre composites, a weak interface yields a steady-state composite flow strength slightly higher than the volume fraction of the matrix times the yield strength of the matrix. This increases linearly with the interfacial shear strength up to the level for strongly bonded composites and can be estimated from the intact fibre aspect ratio, the matrix yield stress, the volume fraction, and the interfacial strength     

Analysis of creep rupture in a notched tensile bar

For circumferentially notched, round tensile bars the creep rupture behaviour is analysed, based on constitutive relations that account for the nucleation and growth of grain boundary cavities in polycrystalline metals at high temperatures. Both diffusive cavity growth and growth by dislocation creep of the surrounding grains is incorporated in the model, and in some cases free grain boundary sliding is assumed. Failure by cavity coalescence is predicted at small overall strains in the range where cavity growth is constrained by the rate of dislocation creep of the grains, whereas outside this range large occur prior to failure.In the analyses for notched specimens, where the stress fields are strongly non-uniform, first failure occurs at the notch tip, and subsequently a macroscopic crack grows into the material. Various combinations of material parameters are considered, and in most cases the crack is found to grow in the plane of the notch. The results are related to earlier experimental and computational investigations of creep rupture in notched bars.     

Numerical analysis of the stress–strain distributions in the particle reinforced metal matrix composite SiC/6064Al

The axisymmetric cell model consisting of interface, matrix and reinforced particle is used to simulate the tensile test of particle reinforced metal matrix composite for predicting the micro stress/strain field and macro tensile stress/strain curve. In simulation of the tensile test, the cohesive element model is selected to model interfacial crack growth. It mainly analyzed the effects of interfacial properties, reinforcement volume fractions and aspect ratios on the stress–strain states of particle reinforced metal matrix composite. The results show that the peak micro stress and plastic strain occur at the interface in which it is a certain angle from the tensile stress direction; with the interfacial fracture toughness and reinforcement volume fraction increasing, the flow stress increases firstly and then decreases. The tensile stress–strain properties of SiC/6064Al are good when the interfacial fracture toughness is equal to 60 J/m and the reinforcement fraction volume is equal to 20%. Smaller reinforcement aspect ratio leads to smaller micro stress in composites.     

亚微米颗粒增强6061铝基复合材料的微塑变特性

发现亚微米级Ａｌ２Ｏ３ｐ／６０６１复合材料的微屈服抗力较高，组织稳定性良好，其微屈服抗力与微塑变符合Ｂｒｏｗｎ和Ｌｕｋｅｎｓ提出的线性规律；通过与ＳｉＣｐ／６０６１和ＡｌＮｐ／６０６１的微屈服行为与组织的对比分析，认为增强颗粒形状，尺寸以及基体中位错密度，亚晶粒尺寸等因素直接影响屈服抗力，亚微米级颗粒增强复合材料对尺寸稳定性要求来说，微观组织形态较合理，是较理想的精密仪表材料。     

Monte Carlo simulation of creep failure in a 0°/90° plain weave SiC/SiC composite lamina

A Monte Carlo model of the effects of fiber creep in a 0°/90° plain weave ceramic-grade Nicalon reinforced SiC composite has been developed. Creep degradation of fibers was predicted to result in stress dependent premature failure of woven ceramic matrix composites, and that premature failure was modeled using a power-law. A power-law exponent of 3.1 ± 0.1 was predicted. The power-law exponent was predicted to be independent of initial crack size for crack length to specimen width ratios of 0.02, 0.10, 0.25, and 0.50. The power-law exponent was also predicted to be independent of the matrix to fiber strength ratio for ratios from 0.25 to 1.0. Premature failure in the 90° (transverse) tows resulted in premature failure of the composite for low values of the matrix to fiber strength ratio (less than 0.75), and decreased creep life was predicted for decreased matrix to fiber strength ratio. For a matrix to fiber strength ratio of 1.0, the creep life of the woven composite was predicted to be equivalent to a unidirectional composite. At small initial crack lengths, a 10% improvement in the creep life was predicted for a reduction in the matrix to fiber strength ratio from 1.0 to 0.75. This improvement was related to the formation of microcracks in the 90° tows and shielding of the macrocrack tip from accelerated creep damage. This improvement in the predicted creep life at a matrix to fiber strength ratio of 0.75 was predicted to be independent of applied stress. However, improvement of the creep life was not predicted to occur for larger values of initial crack length.     

Grain boundary sliding behaviour of copper and alpha brass at intermediate temperatures

The role of grain boundary sliding in copper and Cu-30% Zn in the temperature range 0.50 to 0.72T _m, whereT _m is the absolute melting point of the material, is examined. First, sliding data obtained on these materials are presented. These results indicate that the stress exponent for sliding,n _gbs, is similar to that for lattice deformation, while the activation energy for sliding,Q _gbs, varies between about 0·5Q _c and 1.6Q _c, whereQ _c is the activation energy for creep. Next, a comparison of the published values ofQ _gbs for bicrystals and polycrystals suggests that grain boundary sliding in polycrystalline materials requires the accommodation of the sliding process, whereas in bicrystals, the absence of triple points and other grain boundaries results in intrinsic sliding. Finally, several models proposed for grain boundary sliding are discussed, and it is shown that they do not account for the observed results on copper and alpha brass. A phenomenological model is proposed, where it is assumed that grain boundary sliding results from the glide of dislocations on secondary slip planes.     

Modeling the tensile stress–strain response of carbon nanotube/polypropylene nanocomposites using nonlinear representative volume element

This paper presents a finite element model for predicting the mechanical behavior of polypropylene (PP) composites reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) at large deformation scale. Existing numerical models cannot predict composite behavior at large strains due to using simplified material properties and inefficient interfaces between CNT and polymer. In this work, nonlinear representative volume elements (RVE) of composite are prepared. These RVEs consist of CNT, PP matrix and non-bonded interface. The nonlinear material properties for CNT and polymer are adopted to solid elements. For the first time, the interface between CNT and matrix is simulated using contact elements. This interfacial model is capable enough to simulate wide range of interactions between CNT and polymer in large strains. The influence of adding CNT with different aspect ratio into PP is studied. The mechanical behavior of composites with different interfacial shear strength (ISS) is discussed. The success of this new model was verified by comparing the simulation results for RVEs with conducted experimental results. The results shows that the length of CNT and ISS values significantly affect the reinforcement phenomenon.     

Microstructure and electrical conductivity of Al-SiCp composites produced by spray forming process

Al- SiC_p composites have been synthesized by spray forming process with variation in particle flow rate, size of reinforcement particles and their volume fraction. The microstructure of composites and their electrical conductivity have been investigated. The results showed a uniform dispersion of large size particulate phase in the matrix of the primary α- phase with its equiaxed grain morphology. However, clustering of small size particles was observed at the grain boundary and grain junctions. The grain size of the composite materials was observed to be lower than that of the base Al- alloy. The composite materials invariably indicated their lower electrical conductivity compared to that of the monolithic Al- alloy. The electrical conductivity of composites decreased with increase in the volume fraction and decrease in size of the reinforcement particles. A high flow rate of particles during spray deposition resulted in a decrease in its conductivity. These results are explained in the light of thermal mismatch between the matrix and the reinforcement phases resulting in generation of high dislocation density. The droplet- particle interaction and resulting microstructure evolution during the spray deposition of the composites are discussed.     

On Grain Size Dependence of Minimum Creep Rate

The available experimental results have beensummarized concerning the effect of grain size onminimum creep rate.There are two types of creeprate-grain size relations.One is that there is a criti-cal grain size above which creep rate is independentof grain size,below which creep rate increases withthe decrease of grain size.The other is that there isan intermediate grain size at which creep resistanceis optimum.The first relation usually occurs athigher temperatures(>0.5 T_m),and intermediatestress ranges,while the second relation at interme-diate temperature ranges(0.4-0.5 T_m)and higherstresses.For the two types of creep rate-grain sizerelations,the increase of the creep rates with the de-crease of grain size for small grain sizes is all due tograin boundary sliding.For large grain sizes,a dis-location climb mechanism is dominant in creepdeformation for the first relation,while aHall-Perch grain boundary strengthening effect isbelieved to play an important role by dislocationglide mechanism for the second relation.     

Constructing two-scale network microstructure with nano-Ti5Si3 for superhigh creep resistance

The improvement of mechanical properties must be achieved by designing and constructing more suitable microstructure, such as hierarchical microstructure. In order to significantly enhance the creep resistance of titanium matrix composites (TMCs), two-scale network microstructure was constructed including the first-scale network (<150 μm) with micro-TiB whisker (TiBw) reinforcement and the second-scale network (<30 μm) with nano-Ti₅Si₃ reinforcement by powder metallurgy and in-situ synthesis. The results showed that the creep rate of the composite was remarkably reduced by an order of magnitude compared with the Ti6Al4V alloy at 550 °C, 600 °C, 650 °C under the stresses between 100 MPa and 350 MPa. Moreover, the rupture time of the composite was increased by 20 times, compared with that of the Ti6Al4V alloy at 550 °C/300 MPa. The superior creep resistance could be attributed to the hierarchical microstructure. The micro-TiBw reinforcement in the first-scale network boundary contributed to creep resistance primarily by blocking grain boundary sliding, while the nano-Ti₅Si₃ particle in the second-scale network boundary mainly by hindering phase boundary sliding. In addition, the nano-Ti₅Si₃ particle was dissolved, and precipitated with smaller size than the primary Ti₅Si₃. This phenomenon was attributed to Si element diffusion under high temperature and external stress, which could further continuously enhance the creep resistance. Finally, the creep rate during steady-state stage was significantly decreased, which manifested superior creep resistance of the composite.