Microscopic characteristics of fatigue crack propagation in aluminum alloy based particulate reinforced metal matrix composites

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1994 · Acta Metallurgica et Materialia; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0956-7151(94)90162-7· OSTI ID:5038610

Wang, Zhirui; Zhang, R J ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Toronto, Ontario (Canada). Dept. of Metallurgy and Materials Science

Microscopic characteristics of fatigue crack propagation in two aluminum alloy (A356 and 6061) based particulate reinforced metal matrix composites (MMCs) were investigated by carrying out three point bending fatigue tests. The impedance offered by the reinforcing particles against fatigue crack propagation has been studied by plotting the nominal and actual crack lengths vs number of cycles. Surface observation shows that fatigue cracks tend to develop along the particle-matrix interface. In the case of Al (A356) MMCs, stronger interaction of fatigue crack with Si particles, as compared to SiC particles, was evident. In both MMC materials, particle debonding was more prominent as compared to particle cracking. The attempted application of Davidson's model to calculate [Delta]K[sub th] indicated that for cast MMCs the matrix grain including the surrounding reinforcing particles has to considered as a large hard particle'', and the grain boundary particles themselves behave like a hard egg-shell'' to strengthen the material.

• OSTI ID: 5038610
• Journal Information: Acta Metallurgica et Materialia; (United States), Vol. 42:4; ISSN 0956-7151
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ALUMINIUM ALLOYS
CRACK PROPAGATION
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
SILICON CARBIDES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
MICROSTRUCTURE
ALLOYS
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
CARBIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
DATA
INFORMATION
MATERIALS
NUMERICAL DATA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SILICON COMPOUNDS
360603* - Materials- Properties