Elastic phase-strain distribution in a particulate-reinforced metal-matrix composite deforming by slip or creep

The macroscopic load-bearing capability of a composite is directly related to the strain partitioning due to load transfer between the component phases. Using neutron diffraction, the elastic mean phase strains were measured during in-situ loading of a Cu-15 vol pct Mo particulate metal-matrix composite (MMC) at 25 °C, 300 °C, and 350 °C. The degree of load sharing at each temperature was compared to finite-element (FE) results. The load transfer from the matrix to reinforcement is both qualitatively and quantitatively different at low and high temperatures. When the matrix creeps, load transfer is less effective than when the matrix deforms by slip; also, load transfer at elevated temperatures decreases with increasing applied stress.     

NiTi and NiTi-TiC composites: Part IV. Neutron diffraction study of twinning and shape-memory recovery

Neutron diffraction measurements of internal elastic strains and crystallographic orientation were performed during compressive deformation of martensitic NiTi containing 0 vol pct and 20 vol pct TiC particles. For bulk NiTi, some twinning takes place upon initial loading below the apparent yield stress, resulting in a low apparent Young's modulus; for reinforced NiTi, the elastic mismatch from the stiff particles enhances this effect. However, elastic load transfer between matrix and reinforcement takes place above and below the composite apparent yield stress, in good agreement with continuum mechanics predictions. Macroscopic plastic deformation occurs by matrix twinning, whereby (1 0 0) planes tend to align perpendicular to the stress axis. The elastic TiC particles do not alter the overall twinning behavior, indicating that the mismatch stresses associated with NiTi plastic deformation are fully relaxed by localized twinning at the interface between the matrix and the reinforcement. For both bulk and reinforced NiTi, partial reverse twinning takes place upon unloading, as indicated by a Bauschinger effect followed by rubberlike behavior, resulting in very low residual stresses in the unloaded condition. Shape-memory heat treatment leads to further recovery of the preferred orientation and very low residual stresses, as a result of self-accommodation during the phase transformations. It is concluded that, except for elastic load transfer, the thermal, transformation, and plastic mismatches resulting from the TiC particles are efficiently canceled by matrix twinning, in contrast to metal matrix composites deforming by slip.     

Elasto-plastic load transfer in bulk metallic glass composites containing ductile particles

In-situ diffraction experiments were performed with high-energy synchrotron X-rays to measure strains in crystalline reinforcing particles (5 and 10 vol. pct W or 5 vol. pct Ta) of bulk metallic glass composites. As the composites were subjected to multiple uniaxial tensile load/unload cycles up to applied stresses of 1650 MPa, load transfer from the matrix to the stiffer particles was observed. At low applied loads, where the particles are elastic, agreement with Eshelby elastic predictions for stress partitioning between matrix and particles is found, indicating good bonding between the phases. At high applied loads, departure from the elastic stress partitioning is observed when the particles reach the von Mises yield criterion, as expected when plasticity occurs in the particles. Multiple mechanical excursions in the particle plastic region lead to strain hardening in the particles, as well as evolution in the residual strain state of the unloaded composite.     

The analysis of internal strains measured by neutron diffraction in Al/SiC metal matrix composites

Neutron diffraction measurements of internal strain development during tensile loading are analysed so as to deduce the extent and mechanisms of load transfer taking place between matrix and reinforcement. It is demonstrated that the observed lattice strains in Al/20 vol.% SiC whisker and particulate composites can be understood largely in terms of an elastic transfer of load arising from the higher stiffness of the reinforcing phase, however at loads approaching a conventional 0.2% yield stress, plastically induced stresses also become important. Furthermore, in the particulate composite there is clear evidence that stress relaxation mechanisms are also important.     

Structure and room-temperature deformation of alumina fiber-reinforced aluminum

Plastic deformation under uniaxial longitudinal tension and compression is investigated for pure aluminum reinforced with a high volume fraction of parallel alumina fibers. The matrix substructure is also examined in transmission electron microscopy. The aim is to study thein situ room-temperature mechanical behavior, particularly the work-hardening rate, of pure aluminum when reinforced with a high volume fraction of chemically inert ceramic reinforcement. The matrix substructure prior to deformation, composed of cells about2 μm in diameter, is similar to that of highly deformed unreinforced aluminum. Measured compressive composite elastic moduli agree with rule of mixture predictions; however, no elastic regime is found during tensile loading. As tensile deformation proceeds above a strain around 0.05 pct, a constant rate of work hardening is reached, in which the matrix contribution is negligible within experimental error. Upon unloading from tensile straining, Bauschinger yielding begins before the composite reaches zero load, as predicted by the rule of mixtures. The matrix substructure after load reversal retains a2- μm cell size but with greater irregularity in the dislocation configurations. Using the rule of mixtures,in situ stress-strain curves are derived for the reinforced aluminum matrix and described by a modified Voce law. Formerly with the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology     

Microscale elastic strain evolution following damage in Ti-SiC composites

Fiber fractures are crucial in initiating damage zones that ultimately determine the strength and lifetime of fiber-reinforced metal matrix composites. The evolution of damage in a metal matrix composite (MMC) comprised of a row of unidirectional SiC fibers (32 vol pct) surrounded by a Ti matrix was examined, for the first time, using X-ray microdiffraction. Multiple strain maps including both phases were collected in situ under applied tensile stress. The elastic axial strains were then compared to predictions from a modified shear-lag model, which, unlike other shear-lag models, considers the elastic response of both constituents. The strains showed good correlation with the model. The results confirmed, for the first time, both the need and validity of this new model specifically developed for large scale multifracture simulations of MMCs. The results also provided unprecedented insight for the model, revealing the necessity of incorporating such factors as plasticity of the matrix, residual stress in the composite, and selection of the load sharing parameter.     

In-Situ Synchrotron Diffraction Studies on Transformation Strain Development in a High-Strength Quenched and Tempered Structural Steel—Part II. Martensitic Transformation

In-situ synchrotron diffraction studies on the kinetics of phase transformation and transformation strain development during bainitic transformation were presented in part I of the current article. In the current article, in-situ phase transformation behavior of a high-strength (830 MPa yield stress) quenched and tempered S690QL1 [Fe-0.16C-0.2Si-0.87Mn-0.33Cr-0.21Mo (wt. pct)] structural steel, during continuous cooling and under different mechanical loading conditions to promote martensitic transformation, has been studied. Time–temperature–load resolved 2D synchrotron diffraction patterns were recorded and used to calculate the phase fractions and lattice parameters of the phases during heating and cooling cycles under different loading conditions. In addition to the thermal expansion behavior, the effects of the applied stress on the elastic strains during the martensitic transformation were calculated. The results show that small tensile stresses applied at the transformation temperature do not change the kinetics of the phase transformation. The start temperature for the martensitic transformation increases with the increasing applied tensile stress. The elastic strains are not affected significantly with the increasing tensile stress. The variant selection during martensitic transformation under small applied loads (in the elastic region) is weak.     

Transformation superplasticity of iron and Fe/TiC metal matrix composites

Unreinforced iron was thermally cycled around the α/γ phase field under an externally applied uniaxial tensile stress, resulting in strain increments which could be accumulated, upon repeated cycling, to a total strain of 450 pct without failure. In agreement with existing theory attributing transformation superplasticity to the biasing of the internal allotropic strains by the external stress, the measured strain increments were proportional to the applied stress at small stresses. However, for applied stresses higher than the nominal yield stress, strain increments increased nonlinearly with stress, as a result of strain hardening due to dissolved carbon and iron oxide dispersoids. Also, the effects of transient primary creep and ratchetting on the superplastic strain increment values were examined. Finally, partial cycling within the α/γ phase field indicated an asymmetry in the superplastic strain behavior with respect to the temperature cycling range, which is attributed to the different strengths of ferrite and austenite. Transformation superplasticity was demonstrated in iron-matrix composites containing 10 and 20 vol pct TiC particles: strain increments proportional to the applied stress were measured, and a fracture strain of 230 pct was reached for the Fe/10TiC composite. However, the strain increments decreased with increasing TiC content, a result attributed to the slight dissolution of TiC particles within the matrix which raised the matrix yield stress by solid-solution strengthening and by reducing the transformation temperature range.     

Creep deformation and damage in a continuous fiber-reinforced Ti-6Al-4V composite

Mechanisms of longitudinal creep deformation and damage were studied in an eight-ply unidirectional-reinforced SCS-6/Ti-6Al-4V composite. The composite was creep tested in air under constant tensile load at temperatures from 427 °C to 650 °C and stresses from 621 to 1380 MPa.In situ acoustic emission (AE) monitoring and post-test metallographic evaluation were used to study fiber fracture and damage during creep. At low creep stresses, creep rates continuously decreased to near-zero values. This was attributed to a mechanism of matrix relaxation and the time-dependent redistribution of load from the ductile matrix to the elastic fibers. At higher stresses, progressive fiber overload occurred during creep loading. In this case, the composite exhibited a stage of decreasing creep rate (due primarily to matrix relaxation), followed by a secondary stage of nearly constant creep rate due to fiber fracture. The results indicate that interfacial oxidation damage and inefficient load transfer at elevated temperatures significantly decreased the capability of broken fibers to carry load. As a result, additional time-dependent stress redistribution occurred in the composite, which was responsible for the secondary creep stage.     

Correlation of uniaxial yielding and substructure in aluminum-stainless steel composites

Stress-strain behavior and associated structural detail have been characterized in aluminum-stainless steel vacuum hot-pressed composites subjected to uniaxial tension or compression. Particular emphasis was placed on the premacroyield region. Volume fractions of reinforcement 0.041, 0.11, 0.153, 0.212, 0.248, and 0.328 have been examined with the load applied parallel to the direction of wire reinforcement. Dislocation configurations have been characterized as a function of overall composite strain, volume fraction of reinforcement, and distance into the matrix from the matrix-wire interface. In tensile loading, experimental values of the precision elastic limit, microyield stress (strain 2.5 x 10^-6) and macroyield stress (strain 1 x 10^-3) are in close agreement with values calculated from the rule of mixtures. Similar agreement is found in compression for the initial elastic modulus, however, the experimental precision elastic limit and microyield stress are higher than the calculated values by a factor ~2, and the macroyield stress is higher by a factor of 5 to 8. At a given level of strain and volume fraction of reinforcement, dislocation configurations, and dislocation densities are independent of distance from the matrix-wire interface. Alternatively, dislocation configurations and dislocation densities are essentially independent of volume fraction of reinforcement at a given level of strain. It is concluded that the matrix responds to its percentage of the applied stress as if it were the only phase present, there being no long-range matrix-wire interaction perturbing the matrix dislocation substructure. Compressive loading of composites in the direction of reinforcement constitutes a form of buckling test.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In Situ</Emphasis> Neutron-Diffraction Studies on the Creep Behavior of a Ferritic Superalloy

Precipitate strengthening effects toward the improved creep behavior have been investigated in a ferritic superalloy with B2-type (Ni,Fe)Al precipitates. In situ neutron diffraction has been employed to study the evolution of the average phase strains, (hkl) plane-specific lattice strains, interphase lattice misfit, and grain-orientation texture during creep deformation of the ferritic superalloy at 973 K (700 °C). The creep mechanisms and particle-dislocation interactions have been studied from the macroscopic creep behavior. At a low stress level of 107 MPa, the dislocation-climb-controlled power-law creep is dominant in the matrix phase, and the load partition between the matrix and the precipitate phases remains constant. However, intergranular stresses develop progressively during the primary creep regime with the load transferred to 200 and 310 oriented grains along the axial loading direction. At a high stress level of 150 MPa, deformation is governed by the thermally activated dislocation glide (power-law breakdown) accompanied by the accelerated texture evolution. Furthermore, an increase in stress level also leads to load transfer from the plastically deformed matrix to the elastically deformed precipitates in the axial direction, along with an increase in the lattice misfit between the matrix and the precipitate phases.     

Room-Temperature strength and deformation of Tib2-reinforced near-γ titanium aluminides

A series of TiB₂-reinforced near-γ titanium aluminide (Ti-Al) matrix composites have been produced in investment-cast form and characterized with respect to microstructure and tensile deformation. The Ti-Al matrices of the composites examined are based upon the binary composition Ti-47 Al (at. pct), with varying proportions (2 to 6 cumulative percent) of manganese, vanadium, chromium, and niobium. TiB₂ has been introduced into the microstructuresvia XD* processing at levels of 7 and 12 vol pct and compared to unreinforced (0 vol pct TiB₂), base variants. The influences of heat-treatment temperature and time have also been studied for each composition and reinforcement variant. The addition of dispersed TiB₂ leads to a fine, stable, and homogeneous as-cast matrix microstructure. The measured TiB₂ size within the composites examined ranged from 1.4 to 2.6 μm. Increasing the volume fraction of TiB₂ leads to increased elastic moduli, increased ambient temperature tensile strengths, and in general, increased strain-hardening response. In some instances, the overall ductility of the alloy increases with the addition of TiB₂ reinforcement. The flow stresses of both the monolithic and composite variants exhibit conventional power-law plasticity. The results indicate that the strengthening and the flow behavior in these composites are derived from both indirect and direct sources. Strengthening contributions are indirectly derived from the microstructural changes within the matrix of the composite that evolve due to the presence of the reinforcement during its evolution and development, for example, due to grain refinement and reinforcement-derived interstitial solid-solution strengthening. Direct contributions to strength are those that can be specifically attributed to the presence of the reinforcement during deformation,e.g., through the interaction of dislocations with the reinforcing particles. When the estimates of the indirect contributions are isolated and arithmetically removed from the magnitude of the total observed strength of the composite, the increase in flow stress correlates in all instances with the inverse square root of the planar interparticle spacing for all alloy compositions, heat treatments, and levels of strain examined.     

The effects of reinforcement additions and heat treatment on the evolution of the poisson ratio during straining of discontinuously reinforced aluminum alloys

The effects of reinforcement additions and heat treatment on the evolution of the Poisson ratio were determined for a 7xxx aluminum alloy reinforced with 15 vol pct SiC_p, a 2xxx alloy with 20 pct SiC_p, and a 2014 alloy with 15 pct A1₂O₃. The Poisson ratio of the monolithic alloy was 0.31 to 0.32 in the elastic regime. At the onset of the plastic regime, the Poisson ratio of the monolithic materials rose rapidly to about 0.45 and then gradually increased to 0.47 by 3.5 pct strain. For discontinuously reinforced aluminum (DRA) materials, the Poisson ratio in the elastic regime was considerably lower than that exhibited by the matrix alloy, while the magnitude of the difference was dependent upon the type, volume fraction, and elastic properties of the reinforcement. In addition, th evolution of the Poisson ratio for DRA material depends upon heat treatment and level of strain due to damage evolution(e.g., SiC_p cracking, matrix failure,etc.) which accompanies straining in these materials. Both the magnitude and extent of change in the Poisson ratio with increasing strain in the composite is rationalized by the accumulation of damage which accompanies increasing strain.     

In-Situ Synchrotron Diffraction Studies on Transformation Strain Development in a High Strength Quenched and Tempered Structural Steel—Part I. Bainitic Transformation

In-situ phase transformation behavior of a high strength (830 MPa yield stress) quenched and tempered S690QL1 (Fe-0.16C-0.2Si-0.87Mn-0.33Cr-0.21Mo (wt pct)) structural steel during continuous cooling under different mechanical loading conditions has been studied. Time-temperature-load resolved 2D synchrotron diffraction patterns were recorded and used to calculate the phase fractions and lattice parameters of the phases during heating and cooling cycles under different loading conditions. In addition to the thermal expansion behavior, the effects of the applied stress on the elastic strains during the formation of bainite from austenite and the effect of carbon on the lattice parameter of bainitic ferrite were calculated. The results show that small tensile stresses applied at the transformation temperature do not change the kinetics of the phase transformation. The start temperature for the bainitic transformation decreases upon increasing the applied tensile stress. The elastic strains increase with increase in the applied tensile stress.     

A finite element model of the effects of primary creep in an Al-SiC metal matrix composite

A two dimensional axisymmetric finite element model has been developed to study the creep behavior of a high-temperature aluminum alloy matrix (alloy 8009) reinforced with 11 vol pct silicon carbide paniculate. Because primary creep represents a significant portion of the total creep strain for this matrix alloy, the emphasis of the present investigation is on the influence of primary creep on the high-temperature behavior of the composite. The base alloy and composite are prepared by rapid solidification processing, resulting in a very fine grain size and the absence of precipitates that may complicate modeling of the composite. Because the matrix microstructure is unaffected by the presence of the SiC paniculate, this material is particularly well suited to continuum finite element modeling. Stress contours, strain contours, and creep curves are presented for the model. While the final distribution of stresses and strains is unaffected by the inclusion of primary creep, the overall creep response of the model reveals a significant primary strain transient. The effects of true primary creep are more significant than the primary-like transient introduced by the redistribution of stresses after loading. Examination of the stress contours indicates that the matrix axial and shear components become less uniform while the effective stress becomes more homogeneous as creep progresses and that the distribution of stresses do not change significantly with time after the strain rate reaches a steady state. These results also confirm that load transfer from the matrix to reinforcement occurs primarily through the shear stress. It is concluded that inclusion of matrix primary creep is essential to obtaining accurate representations of the creep response of metal matrix composites. formerly Graduate Research Assistant, University of California-Davis This article is based on a presentation made in the symposium entitled “Creep and Fatigue in Metal Matrix Composites” at the 1994 TMS/ASM Spring meeting, held February 28–March 3, 1994, in San Francisco, California, under the auspices of the joint TMS-SMD/ ASM-MSD Composite Materials Committee.     

X-Ray measurement of lattice strains in textured low carbon steel under uniaxial loading

To examine the effect of relative crystallite misorientations on the inhomogeneous deformation behavior, lattice strains in the crystallites of a textured low-carbon steel are measured by anin situ X-ray diffraction method under uniaxial loading. Internal microstresses of the crystallites are also determined from the lattice strains measured along different directions of the crystallites. The low-carbon steel has the rolling texture of orientation relationship: {211}〈01Ī〉, {111}〈2Ī〈, and {100}〈011〉. Different lattice stress-strain curves are obtained from the different crystallite groups, which show dissimilarity in the proportionality constant between the stress and lattice strain and the elastic limit of each crystallite group. The external elastic limit can be calculated from averaging the individual lattice yield points of each crystallite groups. Triaxial stress states are developed in the crystallites in the entire range of the elastic and plastic regions during uniaxial loading. The residual stresses of the specimen unloaded at a strain level of about 3 pet are in a biaxial stress state.     

Deformation and failure of Zr<Subscript>57</Subscript>Nb<Subscript>5</Subscript>Al<Subscript>10</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>15.4</Subscript>Ni<Subscript>12.6</Subscript>/W particle composites under quasi-static and dynamic compression

We have investigated the mechanical behavior of a composite material consisting of a Zr₅₇Nb₅Al₁₀Cu_15.4Ni_12.6 metallic glass matrix with 60 vol pct tungsten particles under uniaxial compression over a range of strain rates from 10⁻⁴ to 10⁴ s⁻¹. In contrast to the behavior of single-phase metallic glasses, the failure strength of the composite increases with increasing strain rate. The composite shows substantially greater plastic deformation than the unreinforced glass under both quasi-static and dynamic loading. Under quasi-static loading, the composite specimens do not fail even at nominal plastic strains in excess of 30 pct. Under dynamic loading, fracture of the composite specimens is induced by shear bands at plastic strains of approximately 20 to 30 pct. We observed evidence of shear localization in the composite on two distinct length scales. Multiple shear bands with thicknesses less than 1 μm form under both quasi-static and dynamic loading. The large plastic deformation developed in the composite specimens is due to the ability of the tungsten particles both to initiate these shear bands and to restrict their propagation. In addition, the dynamic specimens also show shear bands with thicknesses on the order of 50 μm; the tungsten particles inside these shear bands are extensively deformed. We propose that thermal softening of the tungsten particles results in a lowered constraint for shear band development, leading to earlier failure under dynamic loading.     

The effect of temperature on the

The tensile stress-strain behavior and failure mechanisms of Ti-24Al-11Nb and a SiC/ Ti-24Al-11Nb composite with continuous SCS-6 fibers oriented parallel to the loading direction have been examined over a range of temperatures from 23 °C to 815°C in air. Failure in Ti- 24Al-11Nb occurred at strains of approximately 4 pct soon after crack initiation at low tem- peratures. Ductility increased with temperature up to a maximum of 20 pct elongation at 600 °C, as surface-initiated cracks did not propagate readily at intermediate temperatures. At higher temperatures, the onset of grain boundary and interfacial void nucleation limited ductility. Com- posite failure appeared to be controlled by fiber fracture at all temperatures; for practical en- gineering purposes, composite failure occurred at 0.8 pct strain at all temperatures. At temperatures of 425 °C and less, fiber fractures occurred at intervals along the lengths of the fibers and appeared to be cumulative, while at temperatures of 650 °C and greater, fiber fractures were only observed locally to the fracture surfaces. The decreased radial residual stresses, interfacial strengths, and matrix properties at 650 °C and 815 °C allowed the composite to unload at 0.8 pct strain, due to fiber fractures, followed by a reloading in which fibers pulled out and the matrix failed, resulting in composite failure. The decreasing residual stresses with increasing temper- ature determined from an elastic-plastic concentric cylinder model were shown to affect the stress-strain response of the composite and were consistent with the measured decreasing inter- facial shear stresses, the increased fiber pullout with temperature, and the circumferential de- bonding observed around the fibers at higher temperatures.     

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.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In Situ</Emphasis> Investigation of the Evolution of Lattice Strain and Stresses in Austenite and Martensite During Quenching and Tempering of Steel

Energy dispersive synchrotron X-ray diffraction was applied to investigate in situ the evolution of lattice strains and stresses in austenite and martensite during quenching and tempering of a soft martensitic stainless steel. In one experiment, lattice strains in austenite and martensite were measured in situ in the direction perpendicular to the sample surface during an austenitization, quenching, and tempering cycle. In a second experiment, the sin² ψ method was applied in situ during the austenite-to-martensite transformation to distinguish between macro- and phase-specific micro-stresses and to follow the evolution of these stresses during transformation. Martensite formation evokes compressive stress in austenite that is balanced by tensile stress in martensite. Tempering to 748 K (475 °C) leads to partial relaxation of these stresses. Additionally, data reveal that (elastic) lattice strain in austenite is not hydrostatic but hkl dependent, which is ascribed to plastic deformation of this phase during martensite formation and is considered responsible for anomalous behavior of the 200 _γ reflection.