Fracture at elevated temperatures in a particle reinforced composite

The tensile fracture behavior of a cast and extruded 2014 aluminum alloy metal matrix composite (MMC) reinforced with 10, 15, and 20 vol.% aluminum oxide particles was investigated as a function of temperature between 100 and 300°C and hold time, and compared with the unreinforced alloy. In addition, the effect of aging condition was investigated in a 15 vol.% composite tested at 200°C. At lower temperature the composites have higher yield strength and UTS than the unreinforced material, and both decrease with increasing temperature. At higher temperatures all the materials have similar strength levels. The elongation is lower in the composites, decreasing with increasing level of reinforcement and increasing with increasing temperature, except at the highest temperature where all the composites are about the same. The microstructural damage in the composites also varies with temperature: particle fracture dominates at lower temperatures and interparticle voiding is the main damage feature at elevated temperatures. The time at temperature, and hence the degree of overaging, has little effect on the observed trends in the composite, in contrast with the unreinforced material where the density of voids decreases with increasing hold times. The transition temperature where the major damage changes from particle cracking to interparticle voiding increases with volume fraction and particle size, and decreases with overaging. The cracked particle density and void density both increase with strain, and the highest rate of increase occurs in the overaged material. In general, the tendency for particle cracking is reduced and for interparticle voiding is increased by any factor which permits accomodation of strain by the matrix, such as lower volume fraction of particles, small particle size, nonclustered particle distribution, and matrix softening from underaging or overaging.     

Effect of SiC volume fraction and particle size on the fatigue resistance of a 2080 Al/SiC p composite

The effect of SiC volume fraction and particle size on the fatigue behavior of 2080 Al was investigated. Matrix microstructure in the composite and the unreinforced alloy was held relatively constant by the introduction of a deformation stage prior to aging. It was found that increasing volume fraction and decreasing particle size resulted in an increase in fatigue resistance. Mechanisms responsible for this behavior are described in terms of load transfer from the matrix to the high stiffness reinforcement, increasing obstacles for dislocation motion in the form of S’ precipitates, and the decrease in strain localization with decreasing reinforcement interparticle spacing as a result of reduced particle size. Microplasticity was also observed in the composite, in the form of stress-strain hysteresis loops, and is related to stress concentrations at the poles of the reinforcement. Finally, intermetallic inclusions in the matrix acted as fatigue crack initiation sites. The effect of inclusion size and location on fatigue life of the composites is discussed.     

Fatigue and Compression Characteristics of Al 6061–B 4 c Composite Materials

Aluminum matrix composites reinforced with boron carbide are a kind of materials that are widely used because of high strength, low density, and improved tribological properties. In this study, mechanical properties of Al 6061–B4C composites reinforced with B4C of three different particle sizes were investigated. In the Al 6061–B4C composite materials, produced by the powder metallurgy methods (extrusion of billets obtained by sintering at temperature of 550°C under pressure of 450 MPa), the change of mechanical properties such as hardness, compressive strength, and fatigue life, related to B4C particle size and the applied heat treatment mode (aging at 180°C for 5 h), were investigated. The hardness of the materials is increased with B4C grain size and the heat treatment. After the heat treatment, the fatigue life of Al 6061–B4C (3 μm) material increases slightly, while that of the composite materials decreases with larger size of B4C reinforcement. The fatigue life of the composite materials reinforced with a larger grain size B4C is reduced by heat treatment. While the compression test data of untreated composite materials were similar to each other, the heat treatment increased these values in all samples. The highest increase in the compression strength was observed in the composite reinforced with 17 μm sized B4C. The addition of graphite reduces the deformation ability of the composites.     

The effect of matrix microstructure on the tensile and fatigue behavior of SiC particle-reinforced 2080 Al matrix composites

The effect of matrix microstructure on the stress-controlled fatigue behavior of a 2080 Al alloy reinforced with 30 pct SiC particles was investigated. A thermomechanical heat treatment (T8) produced a fine and homogeneous distribution of S′ precipitates, while a thermal heat treatment (T6) resulted in coarser and inhomogeneously distributed S′ precipitates. The cyclic and monotonic strength, as well as the cyclic stress-strain response, were found to be significantly affected by the microstructure of the matrix. Because of the finer and more-closely spaced precipitates, the composite given the T8 treatment exhibited higher yield strengths than the T6 materials. Despite its lower yield strength, the T6 matrix composite exhibited higher fatigue resistance than the T8 matrix composite. The cyclic deformation behavior of the composites is compared to monotonic deformation behavior and is explained in terms of microstructural instabilities that cause cyclic hardening or softening. The effect of precipitate spacing and size has a significant effect on fatigue behavior and is discussed. The interactive role of matrix strength and SiC reinforcement on stress within “rogue” inclusions was quantified using a finite-element analysis (FEA) unit-cell model.     

High-Temperature Fatigue of a Hybrid Aluminum Metal Matrix Composite

An aluminum metal matrix composite (MMC) brake drum was tested in fatigue at room temperature and extreme service temperatures. At room temperature, the hybrid composite did not fail and exceeded estimated vehicle service times. At higher temperatures (62 and 73 pct of the matrix eutectic), fatigue of a hybrid particle/fiber MMC exhibited failure consistent with matrix overloading. Overaging of the A356 matrix coupled with progressive fracture of the SiC particles combined to create the matrix overload condition. No evidence of macro-fatigue crack initiation or growth was observed, and the matrix–particle interface appeared strong with no debonding, visible matrix phases, or porosity. An effective medium model was constructed to test the hypothesis that matrix overloading was the probable failure mode. The measured particle fracture rate was fit using realistic values of the SiC Weibull strength and modulus, which in turn predicted cycles to failure within the range observed in fatigue testing.     

Effects of sic content on fatigue crack growth in

An experimental study has been conducted with the purpose of examining the fatigue crack growth characteristics of cast aluminum alloy matrix composites reinforced with different vol- ume fractions of silicon carbide particles. Particular attention has been paid to developing com- posite microstructures with similar matrix aging condition, precipitation, matrix strength, reinforcement particle size distribution, and interfacial characteristics but with different con- trolled amounts of reinforcement particles. Fatigue crack growth experiments have been con- ducted using constant stress amplitude methods with a fixed load ratio as well as constant K_max control involving a varying load ratio. The development of crack closure and the microscopic path of the crack through the composite microstructure are monitored optically and using the electron microscope in an attempt to examine the mechanisms of fatigue fracture. The results indicate that an increase in SiC content results in the suppression of striation formation in the ductile matrix. Although ductile matrix failure involving the formation of striations in the low SiC content composite or of void growth in the high SiC content composite is evident, the results also show that fracture of the reinforcement particles plays a significant role in dictating the rates of fatigue crack growth. Detailed quantitative analyses of the extent of particle fracture as a function of the reinforcement content have been performed to elucidate the mechanistic origins of fatigue resistance. The propensity of particle fracture increases with particle size and with the imposed value of stress intensity factor range. While discontinuously reinforced metal- matrix composites with predominantly matrix cracking are known to exhibit superior fatigue crack growth resistance as compared to the unreinforced matrix alloy, the tendency for particle fracture in the present set of experiments appears to engender fatigue fracture characteristics in the composite which are inferior to those seen in the unreinforced matrix material. Particle fracture also results in noticeable differences in the microscopic fracture path and causes a reduction in crack closure in the composites as compared to that in the matrix alloy. The results of this work are discussed in light of other related studies available in the literature in an attempt to develop a mechanistic perspective on fatigue crack growth resistance in metal-matrix composites.     

Strength of a composite abrasive powder

Conclusions The strength of a composite iron-base powder reinforced with disperse inclusions is 3–6 times that of the refractory compound itself. The highest strength is exhibited by composites containing 40–70 vol. % of refractory compound inclusions. When the particle size of a powder with such a composite structure is decreased, its grain strength grows as a result of work hardening of its matrix. A considerable increase in strength is due to the formation of interatomic bonds at phase boundaries.Translated from Poroshkovaya Metallurgiya, No. 2(206), pp. 9–12, February, 1980.     

Effect of reinforcement-particle-orientation anisotropy on the tensile and fatigue behavior of metal-matrix composites

The effect of extrusion-induced particle-orientation anisotropy on the mechanical behavior of metal-matrix composites (MMCs) was examined. In this study, we have shown that this anisotropy has a significant influence on the tensile and fatigue behavior SiC particle-reinforced Al alloy composites. The preferred orientation of SiC particles was observed parallel to the extrusion axis, with the extent of orientation being highest for the lowest-volume-fraction composites. The composites exhibited higher Young’s modulus and tensile strength along the longitudinal direction (parallel to the extrusion axis) than in the transverse direction. The extent of anisotropic behavior increased with increasing volume fraction, because of the increasing influence of the SiC reinforcement on the Young’s modulus and tensile properties. The preferred orientation also resulted in anisotropy in the fatigue behavior of the composite material. The trends mirrored those observed in tension, with higher overall fatigue strengths for both orientations and a higher anisotropy with increasing volume fraction of particles. The influence of particle-orientation anisotropy and the resulting tensile and fatigue damage mechanisms is discussed.     

Hydroxyapatite-polyethylene composites for bone substitution: effects of ceramic particle size and morphology

Synthetic hydroxyapatite particles of two median sizes and different morphologies have been used to manufacture hydroxyapatite reinforced high density polyethylene composites (HAPEX) for medical applications. The effects of hydroxyapatite particle size on properties of the resultant composites were investigated using various techniques. It was found that composites with smaller hydroxyapatite particles had higher torsional modulus, tensile modulus and tensile strength, but lower strain to failure. Examination of fracture surfaces revealed that only a mechanical bond existed between the filler and the matrix. It was shown that dynamic mechanical analysis is useful in studying the viscoelastic behaviour of the composite.     

液态反应合成Mg-Li-MgO/Mg_2Si复合材料的组织与性能

用ＤＴＡ对ＳｉＯ２ 与ＭｇＬｉ 合金反应合成复合材料的热力学进行了研究, 证明反应能够进行。检测结果表明反应生成的粒子尺寸细小且分布均匀。复合材料的强度、硬度、弹性模量明显提高; 该复合材料的延伸率低于基体合金, 但仍可达到较高水平（ ＞ ４％） , 高于Ａｌ２Ｏ３ 及ＳｉＣ纤维增强复合材料。     

SiCp/Mg composites made by low-energy mechanical processing

Composite powders containing 10, 20 and 30 vol% SiC_p particulates in a Mg matrix were produced using mechanical processing. A small laboratory ball mill was used to achieve a uniform distribution of the reinforcements in the Mg matrix. The particle size distribution and the microstructure of the composite powders were studied as a function of processing time. Based on these observations, four successive stages of processing were identified. It was shown that a homogeneous distribution of SiC_p in a Mg matrix may be obtained under low-energy milling conditions. The influence of milling time and concentration of SiC_p on tensile strength, stiffness, elongation and impact properties of rods extruded from the resulting composite powders were investigated. The hardness of SiC_p/Mg composites was also evaluated to determine the influence of SiC_p content.     

Three-Dimensional Microstructure Visualization of Porosity and Fe-Rich Inclusions in SiC Particle-Reinforced Al Alloy Matrix Composites by X-Ray Synchrotron Tomography

Microstructural aspects of composites such as reinforcement particle size, shape, and distribution play important roles in deformation behavior. In addition, Fe-rich inclusions and porosity also influence the behavior of these composites, particularly under fatigue loading. Three-dimensional (3-D) visualization of porosity and Fe-rich inclusions in three dimensions is critical to a thorough understanding of fatigue resistance of metal matrix composites (MMCs), because cracks often initiate at these defects. In this article, we have used X-ray synchrotron tomography to visualize and quantify the morphology and size distribution of pores and Fe-rich inclusions in a SiC particle-reinforced 2080 Al alloy composite. The 3-D data sets were also used to predict and understand the influence of defects on the deformation behavior by 3-D finite element modeling.     

Degradation of residual strength in SCS-6/Ti-15-3 Due to fully reversed fatigue

Little attention has been given to residual strength degradation in titanium matrix composites (TMCs) after exposure to fatigue loading. To address this problem, fatigue tests on SCS-6/Ti-15-3 were performed to investigate the fatigue life and residual strength behavior of TMCs with different fiber volume fractions. Results indicate that fiber volume fraction seems to have an effect on both of these quantities. Lower fiber percentages result in a material where the characteristics of the matrix, such as hardening or cracking, play a much larger role in the composite response. Fatigue lives were not affected by fiber volume fraction at higher strain ranges, but lower fiber volume fractions resulted in shorter fatigue lives at lower strain values. Also, a slight increase in residual strength occurred up to 75 pct of fatigue life, for the lower-fiber volume fraction material. Despite these distinctions between specimens with different fiber contents, all specimens tested retained the majority of their strength prior to failure. This article is based on a presentation made in the symposium “Fatigue and Creep of Composite Materials” presented at the TMS Fall Meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, September 14–18, 1997, under the auspices of the TMS/ASM Composite Materials Committee.     

Processing,microstructure, and mechanical behavior of cast magnesium metal matrix composites

Magnesium metal matrix composites (MMCs) have been receiving attention in recent years as an attractive choice for aerospace and automotive applications because of their low density and superior specific properties. This article presents a liquid mixing and casting process that can be used to produce SiC particulate-reinforced magnesium metal matrix composites via conventional foundry processes. Microstructural features, such as SiC particle distribution, grain refinement, and particle/matrix interfacial reactions of the cast magnesium matrix composites, are investigated, and the effects of solidification-process parameters and matrix alloys (pure Mg and Mg-9 pct Al-1 pct Zn alloy AZ91) on the microstructure are established. The results of this work suggest that in the solidification processing of MMCs, it is important to optimize the process parameters both to avoid excessive interfacial reactions and simultaneously achieve wetting, so that a good particle distribution and interfacial bonding are obtained. The tensile properties, strain hardening, and fracture behavior of the AZ91/SiC composites are also studied and the results are compared with those of the unreinforced AZ91 alloy. The strengthening mechanisms for AZ91/SiC composite, based on the proposed SiC particle/matrix interaction during deformation, are used to explain the increased yield strength and elastic modulus of the composite over the magnesium matrix alloy. The low ductility found in the composites is due to the early appearance of localized damages, such as particle cracking, matrix cracking, and occasionally interface debonding, in the fracture process of the composite.     

Correlation of abrasive wear with microstructure and mechanical properties of pressure die-cast aluminum hard-particle composite

Aluminum hard particle composites were synthesized by the solidification processing technique and the composite melt was solidified using gravity and pressure die castings. An aluminum-silicon alloy (A 332.1) has been used as the matrix and silicon carbide particles (quantity: 10 wt pct, and size: 50 to 80 μm) have been used as reinforcement for synthesis of the composite. The microstructure of the pressure die cast composite is found to be finer than those of the gravity cast ones. Additionally, the distribution of SiC particles in the Al alloy matrix is found to be more uniform in the pressure die-cast composites compared to the gravity die-cast ones. The mechanical properties such as ultimate tensile strength, hardness, and ductility are observed to be superior in the case of pressure die-cast composites compared to the gravity-cast one. The two-body abrasive wear resistance of the Al-composite is also noted to be greater in the pressure die-cast composite than in the gravity-cast one. The effects of injection pressure on the mechanical properties and wear resistance of the pressure die-cast composites are examined. It is observed that the wear resistance (inverse of wear rate), hardness, and strength of the Al-SiC composites increase with the increase in injection pressure during pressure die casting. This may be due to the finer microstructure, the absence of casting defects, and the stronger interfacial bonding between the matrix and hard dispersoid in pressure die-cast composites. The wear rate of the alloys and composites is studied as a function of their hardness, strength, and Young’s modulus. It is noted that the wear rate is primarily controlled by hardness even though other mechanical properties influence the wear behavior of the materials to some extent. An attempt is made to establish an empirical relation to correlate the wear rate of material with the mechanical properties such as hardness, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation.     

Reinforcement shape effects on the fracture behavior and ductility of particulate-reinforced 6061-Al matrix composites

Particle shape effects on the fracture and ductility of a spherical and an angular particulate-reinforced 6061-Al composite containing 20 pct vol Al₂O₃ were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) fractography and modeled using the finite element method (FEM). The spherical particulate composite exhibited a slightly lower yield strength and work hardening rate but a considerably higher ductility than the angular counterpart. The SEM fractographic examination showed that during tensile deformation, the spherical composite failed through void nucleation and linking in the matrix near the reinforcement/matrix interface, whereas the angular composite failed through particle fracture and matrix ligament rupture. The FEM results indicate that the distinction between the failure modes for these two composites can be attributed to the differences in the development of internal stresses and strains within the composites due to particle shape.     

Mechanical behavior of cast particulate SiC/AI (A356) metal matrix composites

Mechanical tests were carried out to study the deformation behavior of particulate SiC-reinforced Al (A356) matrix composites produced through direct casting using the molten metal mixing method. The matrix alloy-Al (A356) was also tested as a control material for comparison. The elastic constant and yield strength of the composite material were found higher than those of the control alloy, but the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and the ductility were lower. The Tsai-Halpin equation was found applicable for calculating the elastic constant if an average particle aspect ratio could be determined. The strain-hardening behavior of the tested composite material appeared very different from that of the control alloy. The high strain-hardening rate in the early stage of plastic deformation of the composite was rationalized by the interaction between the hard particles and the ductile metal matrix; on the other hand, the low hardening rate recorded from intermediate strain amplitude to fracture was attributed to the early coalescence of voids and other microdamages. Particle-matrix interface debonding, particle cracking, and void for-mation in the metal matrix were considered to be responsible for the low ductility. Deformation asymmetry of the composites was noticed, not only through the Bauschinger effect, but also through the difference in virgin specimens’ yield stresses in tension and compression.     

Effect of laminate stacking sequence on the high frequency fatigue behavior of SCS-6 fiber-reinforced Si3N4 matrix composites

In many potential applications, continuous fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites (CFCMCs) will encounter cyclic fatigue loadings at high frequencies (25 Hz or higher). While most of the work in the area of fatigue of CFCMCs has concentrated on low frequency behavior, high frequency behavior is equally important. In CFCMCs, stress-strain hysteresis occurs during fatigue and is associated with energy dissipation in the composite. In addition to this, the repeated friction and sliding between fiber and matrix are responsible for a substantial temperature rise at the fiber/matrix interface. In this study, [0/90] and [±45] SCS-6 (silicon carbide)/Si₃N₄ composites made by hot pressing were investigated under high frequency fatigue loadings. The angle-ply laminate showed the same extent of heating as cross-ply laminates, but at much lower stress levels. Frictional heating was caused by sliding at the fiber/matrix interface. Temperature rise due to heat generation in the specimens correlated very well with damage in modulus as a function of fatigue cycles in the composites. Matrix microcracking was more predominant in the angle ply than in the cross-ply composite, due to the much lower stiffness of the angle-ply composite in the longitudinal loading direction.     

液态反应合成Mg—Li—MgO／Mg2Si复合材料的组织与性能

用ＤＴＡ对ＳｉＯ２与Ｍｇ－Ｌｉ合金反应合成复合材料的热力学进行了研究,证明反应能够进行。检测结果表明反应生成的粒子尺寸细小且分布均匀。复合材料的强度,硬度,弹性模量明显提高;该复合材料的延伸率低于基体合金,但仍可达到较高水平（〉４％）,高于Ａｌ２Ｏ３及ＳｉＣ纤维增强复合材料。     

The influence of matrix microstructure

The low-cycle and high-cycle fatigue behavior and cyclic response of naturally aged and artificially aged 2219/TiC/15_p and unreinforced 2219 Al were investigated utilizing plastic strain-controlled and stress-controlled testing. The cyclic response of both the reinforced and un-reinforced materials was similar for all plastic strain amplitudes tested except that the saturation stress level for the composite was always greater than that of the unreinforced material. The cyclic response of the naturally aged materials exhibited cyclic hardening and, in some cases, cyclic softening, while the cyclic response for the artificially aged materials showed no evidence of either cyclic hardening or softening. The higher ductility of the unreinforced material made it more resistant to fatigue failure at high strains, and thus, at a given plastic strain, it had longer fatigue life. It should be noted that the tensile ductilities of the 2219/TiC/15_p were significantly higher than those previously reported for 2XXX-series composites. During stress-controlled test-ing at stresses below 220 MPa, the presence of TiC particles lead to an improvement in fatigue life. Above 220 MPa, no influence of TiC reinforcement on fatigue life could be detected. In both the composite and unreinforced materials, the low-cycle and high-cycle fatigue lives were found to be virtually independent of matrix microstructure. G.M. VYLETEL, formerly Graduate Student, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Michigan D.C. VAN AKEN, formerly Assistant Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Michigan