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Localization of strain in metal matrix composites studied by a scanning electron microscope-based grating method
H.-A. Crostack1, G. Fischer, E. Soppa
1RIF eV, Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Straße 20, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany; MPA, Stuttgart University, Pfaffenwaldring 32, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany; Risø National Laboratory, PO Box 49, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
Journal of Microscopy
|February 24, 2001
Summary
This study investigated metal matrix composites, revealing strain localization in ductile matrices. Finite element (FE) simulations largely matched experimental findings on deformation patterns in Ag/Ni and Al/Al2O3 composites.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Mechanical Engineering
- Computational Materials Science
Background:
- Metal matrix composites (MMCs) exhibit complex deformation behaviors crucial for their performance.
- Understanding microstructural influences on strain localization is key to designing advanced materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the microstructural deformation characteristics of Ag/Ni and Al/Al2O3 metal matrix composites.
- To compare experimental results with finite element (FE) simulations of strain localization.
Main Methods:
- Microstructural analysis using a scanning electron microscope-based grating method.
- Finite element (FE) simulation incorporating real phase geometry and experimental boundary conditions.
Main Results:
- Strain was observed to localize in narrow bands within the ductile matrix of both Ag/Ni and Al/Al2O3 composites.
- In Al/Al2O3, strain localization initiated near Al2O3 particles; in Ag/Ni, it involved Ag grain sliding.
- FE simulations showed reasonable agreement with experiments, though discrepancies arose from unmodeled particle cracks/voids (Al/Al2O3) and crystallographic orientation (Ag/Ni).
Conclusions:
- The study successfully characterized strain localization in MMCs at the microstructural level.
- FE simulations are valuable for predicting MMC deformation, but accounting for microstructural details like voids and crystallographic orientation is essential for higher accuracy.