On the role of particle cracking in flow and fracture of metal matrix composites

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1995 · Acta Metallurgica et Materialia; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0956-7151(95)90256-2· OSTI ID:6802233

Brockenbrough, J R ^[1]; Zok, F W ^[2]

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1. Alcoa Labs., Alcoa Center, PA (United States)
2. Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States). Materials Dept.

The flow response of particle-reinforced metal matrix composites is studied using finite element methods. Unit cells containing either intact or cracked particles in a power law hardening matrix are used to determine the corresponding asymptotic flow strengths. The effects of the hardening exponent and the elastic mismatch between the particles and the matrix on the flow response are examined. For comparison, the flow response of power law hardening solids containing penny-shaped cracks is also evaluated. The latter results are found to be in reasonable agreement with those corresponding to composites that contain low volume fractions of cracked particles. The asymptotic results are used to develop a one-dimensional constitutive law for composites which undergo progressive damage during tensile straining. This law is used to evaluate the strain at the onset of plastic instability. It is proposed that the instability strain be used as a measure of tensile ductility when the particle content is low and the particles are uniformly distributed through the matrix.

• OSTI ID: 6802233
• Journal Information: Acta Metallurgica et Materialia; (United States), Vol. 43:1; ISSN 0956-7151
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
FRACTURE PROPERTIES
MICROSTRUCTURE
METALS
PARTICULATES
CRACK PROPAGATION
FLOW STRESS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METALLURGICAL EFFECTS
PLASTICITY
TENSILE PROPERTIES
ELEMENTS
MATERIALS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
PARTICLES
STRESSES
360602* - Other Materials- Structure & Phase Studies
360603 - Materials- Properties