Stiffness of particulate reinforced metal matrix composites with damaged reinforcements

Abstract

During tensile plastic deformation particulate reinforced metal matrix composites (MMCs) undergo reinforcement damage and a parallel reduction in stiffness. An analytical model is developed to calculate this stiffness reduction using the equivalent inclusion technique proposed by Eshelby. The model considers both damaged and undamaged reinforcement particles as ellipsoidal inclusions but with different stiffness tensors. The effect of the aspect ratio of the reinforcing particles has been accounted for in the model. The model is very flexible and can meet different specific damage situations by designing a suitable stiffness tensor for the damaged reinforcements. Finite element analysis is used to modify a numerical stiffness tensor for cracked reinforcement particles. The model is compared with an earlier model of modulus reduction in MMC materials and with a few experimental measurements made on a 15 vol.-%SiC particulate reinforced aluminium alloy 2618 MMC.     

Low cycle fatigue behaviour of particulate reinforced metal matrix composites

The low cycle fatigue (LCF) resistance of two different 6061 Al/20 vol% alumina particulate metal matrix composites (MMCs) in a peaked-aged condition has been evaluated under fully reversed strain control testing. Test results were combined with scanning electron and optical microscopy investigations to determine the effects of reinforcement particles and strain amplitude on the LCF behaviour of these MMCs. Both materials show three stages of response to LCF: initial fast hardening or softening in the first few cycles; gradual softening for most of the fatigue life; and a rapid drop in the stress carrying capability prior to failure. Both MMCs exhibit short LCF life which follows a Coffin-Manson relationship. All tested specimens demonstrate ductile fracture morphology at final failure. The experimental results are discussed in respect of strain amplitude, matrix composition and reinforcement shape and crack initiation.     

颗粒增强镁基复合材料的研究现状及发展趋势

综述了颗粒增强镁基复合材料的研究概况,着重介绍了颗粒增强镁基复合材料的制备技术,界面行为和制备热力学与动力学三大研究热点,另外,对颗粒增强镁基复合材料的增强机理及常温力学性能作了简单介绍,最后,对颗粒增强镁基复合材料的研究方向进行了一些看法和展望,指出原位颗粒增强镁基复合材料的制备技术交城为制备镁基复合材料的发展趋势,镁基复合材料由于具有高的比强度,比模量和良好的耐磨性、耐高温性能和减震性能,在航空航天,特别是汽车工业具有在的应用前景和广阔的市场。     

界面对纤维增强陶瓷基复合材料拉伸性能的影响

建立了桥联纤维细观力学模型, 研究了界面对纤维增强陶瓷基复合材料拉伸模量及强度的影响。分别引入纤维应力均匀系数和界面脱粘率作为界面完全脱粘和局部脱粘条件下界面性能的表征参数。研究表明, 应力均匀系数及界面脱粘率越大, 材料模量越低, 而断裂时纤维所承担的应力越高。基于混合率给出了拉伸强度表达式, 同时也分析了基体裂纹分布、界面脱粘和纤维拔出对强度的影响。计算结果表明, 本文强度模型给出的预测值与试验值吻合较好。      

单向纤维增强陶瓷基复合材料单轴拉伸行为

采用细观力学方法对单向纤维增强陶瓷基复合材料的单轴拉伸应力-应变行为进行了研究。采用Budiansky-Hutchinson-Evans（BHE）剪滞模型分析了复合材料出现损伤时的细观应力场,结合临界基体应变能准则、应变能释放率准则以及Curtin统计模型三种单一失效模型分别描述陶瓷基复合材料基体开裂、界面脱粘以及纤维失效三种损伤机制,确定了基体裂纹间隔、界面脱粘长度和纤维失效体积分数。将剪滞模型与3种单一失效模型相结合,对各个损伤阶段的应力-应变曲线进行模拟,建立了准确的复合材料强韧性预测模型,并讨论了界面参数和纤维韦布尔模量对复合材料损伤以及应力-应变曲线的影响。与室温下陶瓷基复合材料单轴拉伸试验数据进行了对比,各个损伤阶段的应力-应变、失效强度及应变与试验数据吻合较好。     

含脆性界面相的颗粒增强金属基复合材料的损伤

通过引入双夹杂模型,将传统增量损伤理论扩展应用到三相复合材料颗粒尺寸效应问题,同时提出一个可以研究颗粒增强金属基复合材料的弹塑性变形及渐进式脱黏损伤模型,该模型还可以研究含脆性界面相的颗粒增强金属基复合材料弹塑性损伤变形行为的颗粒尺寸效应。研究发现,包含各种不同颗粒尺寸的颗粒增强金属基复合材料的脱黏损伤按照颗粒尺寸从大到小的顺序先后发生,并且该模型与SiC/Al复合材料的试验结果比较一致。     

The fracture energy of metal fibre reinforced ceramic composites (MFCs)

A model is presented for prediction of the fracture energy of ceramic-matrix composites containing dispersed metallic fibres. It is assumed that the work of fracture comes entirely from pull-out and/or plastic deformation of fibres bridging the crack plane. Comparisons are presented between these predictions and experimental measurements made on a commercially-available composite material of this type, containing stainless steel (304) fibres in a matrix predominantly comprising alumina and alumino-silicate phases. Good agreement is observed, and it’s noted that there is scope for the fracture energy levels to be high (∼20 kJ m⁻²). Higher toughness levels are both predicted and observed for coarser fibres, up to a practical limit for the fibre diameter of the order of 0.5 mm. Other deductions are also made concerning strategies for optimisation of the toughness of this type of material.     

Ageing behaviour and toughness of silicon carbide particulate reinforced Al-Li-Cu-Mg-Zr metal matrix composites

The effects of lithium content on the ageing characteristic and notched tensile properties of particulate reinforced Al-Li-Cu-Mg-Zr based metal matrix composites (MMCs) have been investigated. MMC sheet containing 20 wt% silicon carbide particulate produced by a conventional powder metallurgy route aged at a similar rate as unreinforced sheet, and the highest strengths were achieved in samples containing 2–2.5 wt% Li. A proprietary processed 8090 Al-Li alloy MMC sheet aged more rapidly, however, and gave considerably higher strengths. The toughness of Al-Li-Cu-Mg-Zr MMC sheet, as indicated by the notched tensile behaviour, can be improved by reducing the lithium content albeit at the expense of strength.     

Tensile failure in fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composites

The newly derived relationship between the closure traction and the crack opening displacement by the modified shear-lag model is used to investigate the tensile failure behaviors of unidirectional fiber reinforced ceramics. The critical stress for matrix cracking and the critical stress to fracture the fiber are calculated for various crack configurations. Then, the failure of composite initiates as the applied stress exceeds the smaller of the matrix cracking stress and the fiber fracture stress. The differences of results between the present analysis and Marshall and Cox are discussed. Finally, the possible tensile failure modes and the transition conditions between different failure modes are summarized in this paper.     

Crack tip damage development and crack growth resistance in particulate reinforced metal matrix composites

A study of crack tip damage development and crack growth resistance of aluminium 359/20% V_f silicon carbide and aluminium 6061/20% V_f Micral^Tm particulate reinforced metal matrix composites has been conducted. Observations of crack tip process zone development at the specimen surface have been compared with the results of fractographic examination of the centre of the specimen. Both materials were found to fracture by a process of void nucleation, growth and coalescence. Void nucleation was found to be by fracture or debonding of reinforcement particles, and/or fracture or debonding of secondary matrix particles. The preferred mode of void nucleation was found to vary depending on the constituents of the PR MMC and even the heat treatment state of the material. It was found that in these materials fractured particles identified on the fracture surface fractured during loading rather than being pre-cracked during fabrication. It was further found that observations of damage development from the specimen surface did not necessarily reflect the mechanisms prevailing in the specimen bulk. Under plane strain conditions, both materials were found to exhibit decreasing crack growth resistance as crack extension proceeded, due to the “anti-shielding” effect of damage accumulated in the process zone ahead of the crack tip. In thin specimens of the Comral-85 composite, however, dramatically improved toughness was obtained, and K_R curves have been obtained for such specimens. The method of measuring crack length was found to have a profound effect on the K_R curve; it was concluded that the K_R curve determined using the crack length measured at the specimen surface best reflected the true crack growth resistance of these materials.     

界面对颗粒增强金属基复合材料强化性能的影响

为提高颗粒增强金属基复合材料的力学性能,采用基于微观组织的胞元模型建模方法,并利用有限元软件ABAQUS着重分析了界面层厚度以及界面层强度对复合材料性能的影响,通过对复合材料中各组成部分的应力、应变云图的获取,形象地说明了各部分的变形规律.研究结果表明,在弱界面层下,随着界面层厚度的增加,复合材料的强化效果并不显著,而在强界面层下,随着界面层厚度的增加,强化效果非常明显;就界面层强度来说,界面越强,所表现出的强化效果就越明显,但当界面层强度比基体大得多时,随着界面层强度的增加,虽然复合材料的强化呈递增趋势,但是递增的幅度已逐渐降低.     

碳纳米管增强金属基复合材料电学性能研究进展

碳纳米管(CNTs)具有极高的力学性能、优异的导电和导热性能,被视为理想的复合材料增强相。CNTs增强复合材料已成为一个极为重要的研究领域。然而,由于CNTs与金属基体间相容性、增强体空间分布难以控制、CNTs本身载流量高而电导率相对较低等,CNTs增强金属基复合材料尚未展现出对金属基体电学性能的显著提升,或者无法有效兼顾电学性能和力学性能,整体研究仍处于起步阶段。鉴于此,从预处理、制备方法和电学机制分析等方面概述了CNTs增强金属基复合材料电学性能的研究现状,并展望了该领域的未来发展趋势。      

颗粒增强金属基复合材料涂层的制备及其特性与应用

针对复合材料涂层的相关问题, 综述了颗粒增强金属基复合材料涂层的制备技术及其特性的研究进展。重点描述了电热爆炸超高速喷涂技术及电刷镀技术制备颗粒增强金属基复合材料涂层的发展现状、涂层组织结构和力学性能研究进展, 概述了颗粒增强金属基复合材料涂层的工程应用领域及其未来发展方向。     

MAX相增强金属基复合材料的研究现状及应用

Mn+1AX_n(简称MAX)为一种三元层状材料,当其作为金属基复合材料的增强项时,可使复合材料具有优异的力学性能和摩擦学性能,拓展了金属基复合材料的种类和应用范围。本文对MAX相的应用与性能进行了介绍,总结了MAX相增强金属基复合材料的界面对复合材料导电性和力学性能的影响,并对MAX增强金属基复合材料的摩擦学行为进行了综述,同时总结了MAX相作为增强相在协同摩擦、单相摩擦和高温摩擦中的磨损机理。最后对MAX相未来研究方向进行了展望。     

Interfaces in discontinuously reinforced metal matrix composites: An overview

The fundamental and engineering aspects pertaining to the matrix-reinforcement interfaces in discontinuously reinforced metal matrix composites are presented in this overview. The interfaces play a key role in determining mechanical properties, namely Young’s modulus, yield strength, elongation, creep and fracture behaviour, as well as physical properties like coefficient of thermal expansion, thermal conductivity and damping characteristics of metal matrix composites; these are discussed in detail. The ratio of the experimental value of the Young’s modulus to that predicted from the rule of mixtures has been used as a measure of interfacial bond strength. Various issues such as the nature of the interfacial bond, chemical reaction at the interfaces, and effect of alloying and processing on the structure of the interfaces and the properties of the composite are examined. In order to exploit the full potential of reinforcing the metallic matrix, the suggested strategies include creation of metallic bonding at the interface, use ofin situ processing, choice of right type of alloying elements, and heat treatments and engineering of interfaces.     

Fracture of alumina particulate reinforced aluminium alloy matrix composites

Fracture toughness tests were performed on two aluminium alloy matrices, 2014-0 and 2024-0 reinforced with alumina particulates of different volume fractions and particulate sizes so as to investigate the fracture mechanisms operative in such composites and to determine how microstructural parameters such as volume fraction, particulate size and interparticle spacing affect the fracture toughness. The results indicate that fracture occurred by a locally ductile mechanism. The fracture toughness increased with increasing particle spacing provided that the particle size was less than a limiting value, above which unstable crack growth occurred and the toughness lowered.     

颗粒增强镁基复合材料的研究现状

综述了颗粒增强镁基复合材料常用的基体合金,常用的增强相及其镁基复合材料的制备技术、组织和性能等,并对颗粒增强镁基复合材料的发展进行了展望.     

Multi-step 3-D finite element modeling of subsurface damage in machining particulate reinforced metal matrix composites

A multi-step 3-D finite element model using the commercial finite element packages Third Wave Systems AdvantEdge^© and ABAQUS/Explicit^© is developed for predicting the sub-surface damage after machining of particle reinforced metal matrix composites. The composite material considered for this study is an A359 aluminum matrix composite reinforced with 20 vol% fraction silicon carbide particles (A359/SiC/20p). The effect of machining conditions on the measured cutting force and damage is modeled by means of a multi-step fully-coupled thermo-mechanical model. Material properties are defined by applying the Equivalent Homogenous Material (EHM) model for the machining simulation while the damage prediction is attained by applying the resulting stress and temperature distribution to a multi-phase sub-model. In the multi-phase approach the particles and matrix are modeled as continuum elements with isotropic properties separated by a layer of cohesive zone elements representing the interfacial layer to simulate the extent of particle–matrix debonding and subsequent sub-surface damage. A random particle dispersion algorithm is applied for the random distribution of the particles in the composite. Experimental measurements of the cutting forces and the sub-surface damage are compared with simulation results, showing promising results.