Paper number 1210

DAMAGE DEVELOPMENT DURING THERMAL CYCLING OF METAL AND GLASS MATRIX COMPOSITES

A. R. Boccaccini1, K. K. Chawla2

1FG Werkstofftechnik, Technische Universität Ilmenau,
D-98684 Ilmenau, Germany
2Department of Materials & Mechanical Engineering
University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-4461, USA

Summary Results of thermal fatigue studies in some fibre reinforced metal and glass matrix composites, MMCs and GMCs, respectively, are presented. The thermal cycling technique involved a computer controlled system of inserting the sample in the furnace, holding it there at elevated temperature (325 °C for the MMCs and 700 °C for CMCs) for 15 minutes, taking the sample out and cooling it in forced air. Microstructural changes resulting from thermal cycling and thermal fatigue damage were evaluated by employing a range of characterisation techniques, including measuring the change in elastic modulus and internal friction of the composites. In MMCs, damage was detected in the form of plastic deformation of the matrix and cracking, debonding at the fiber/matrix interface, followed by void formation at the interface. In GMCs, material degradation was attributed to phenomena related to the softening and cavitation of the glass matrix and to oxidation of the fibres.
Keywords metal matrix composites, glass matrix composites, thermal cycling, thermal stresses, microstructural damage.

Theme : Metal Matrix Composites

[ HOME ]  [ BACK ]