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Title: Prediction of the tensile stress-strain curve and ductility in Al/SiC composites

Journal Article · · Scripta Materialia
;  [1]
  1. Polytechnic Univ. of Madrid (Spain). Dept. of Materials Science

The optimization of composite materials requires the development of micromechanical models which throw light on the influence of the microstructural parameters on the mechanical behavior. In the case of particulate-reinforced metal-matrix composites, the mechanical behavior in uniaxial tension has often been modeled through the finite element analysis of a unit cell representative of the composite. This technique was extended by Bao to analyze the effect of reinforcement fracture on the flow response of a composite comprised of an elastic-perfectly plastic matrix and elastic spheres. His approach did not include, however, a failure criterion for the reinforcements or a prediction of the tensile ductility. This was recently accomplished by Brockenbrough and Zok and Martinez et al. for a strain hardening metal-matrix reinforced with elastic spheres. The basic approach they developed is modified here to substitute the spherical reinforcements by unit cylinders, which are more appropriate than spheres to model reinforcements of irregular shape, sharp corners and low aspect ratio. The model is used to predict the tensile stress-strain curve and ductility of a 2618 Al alloy reinforced with 15 vol.% SiC particulates, whose microstructural characteristics, failure mechanisms and mechanical properties were reported in the past.

OSTI ID:
271652
Journal Information:
Scripta Materialia, Vol. 35, Issue 1; Other Information: PBD: 1 Jul 1996
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English