Acoustic emission during fatigue crack propagation in SiC particle reinforced Al matrix composites

The acoustic emission (AE) behavior during fatigue propagation in aluminum 6061 and aluminum 6061 matrix composites containing 5, 10, and 20 wt pct SiC particle reinforcement was investigated under tension-tension fatigue loading. The purpose of this investigation was to monitor fatigue crack propagation by the AE technique and to identify the source(s) of AE. Most of the AEs detected were observed at the top of the load cycles. The cumulative number of AE events was found to correspond closely to the fatigue crack growth and to increase with increasing SiC content. Fractographic studies revealed an increasing number of fractured particles and to a lesser extent decohered particles on the fatigue fracture surface as the crack propagation rate(e.g., †K) or the SiC content was increased. 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.