24.08.2013 Views

dissertation global and local fracture properties of metal matrix ...

dissertation global and local fracture properties of metal matrix ...

dissertation global and local fracture properties of metal matrix ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

Section 7<br />

It is important that no particle breaking during the ECAP is observed: the number <strong>of</strong> particles<br />

per quadrat, µ, are 6.2, 5.9, <strong>and</strong> 6.7 for the initial state, after 4, <strong>and</strong> 7 ECAP passes,<br />

respectively. It should be further noted that no voids are observed in the investigated material<br />

after 7 ECAP passes.<br />

7.4.2. The effect <strong>of</strong> ECAP on the <strong>global</strong> <strong>fracture</strong> <strong>properties</strong><br />

Grinded <strong>and</strong> polished tensile specimens with a gage length <strong>of</strong> 10 mm <strong>and</strong> a quadratic section<br />

<strong>of</strong> 2x2 mm are used for tensile tests. Disk-shaped compact specimens similar to that presented<br />

in Fig. 4.8 is used to perform <strong>fracture</strong> tests. Specimens for mechanical tests are annealed at<br />

530°C for 1h, quenched in water, <strong>and</strong> aged at 175°C for 15min. which corresponds to an<br />

under-aged condition. This heat treatment is chosen because <strong>of</strong> the low <strong>fracture</strong> toughness <strong>of</strong><br />

the MMC. As was already mentioned in Section 2, MMCs in the under-aged condition have<br />

the highest <strong>fracture</strong> toughness. In our case, a high <strong>fracture</strong> toughness would be advantageous<br />

to compare the <strong>fracture</strong> <strong>properties</strong> <strong>of</strong> the material.<br />

In Table 7.2, the results <strong>of</strong> mechanical tensile tests are listed. No significant difference<br />

between the yield strength, σy, ultimate tensile strength, σu, the strain hardening coefficient,<br />

N, <strong>and</strong> the <strong>fracture</strong> strain, εfr, is found for considered materials.<br />

In Figure 7.6, the J-∆a curves determined according to [70] for all tested disk compact<br />

specimens are given. The values <strong>of</strong> the <strong>fracture</strong> toughness, J0.2, the maximum extension <strong>of</strong> the<br />

stable crack propagation, ∆astab, the slope <strong>of</strong> the J-∆a-curve, dJ/d(∆a), in the range between<br />

the ∆a = 0.2 mm <strong>and</strong> ∆astab are listed in Table 7.2, as well. A tendency to increase <strong>of</strong> the J0.2-,<br />

the dJ/d(∆a)-, <strong>and</strong> the ∆astab-values with increasing homogeneity <strong>of</strong> the particle distribution<br />

can be noted.<br />

Evolution <strong>of</strong> the slope <strong>of</strong> the J-∆a curve, dJ/d(∆a), is especially interesting, as this parameter<br />

is a measure <strong>of</strong> the total crack growth resistance in material, Rtot, [50, 84]. In [50], the relation<br />

Number <strong>of</strong><br />

ECAP passes<br />

Table 7.2. Data on mechanical <strong>properties</strong> <strong>of</strong> the PM-MMC Al6061-20%Al2O3.<br />

σy<br />

[MPa]<br />

σu<br />

[MPa]<br />

N εfr<br />

[%]<br />

88<br />

J0.2/Bl<br />

[kN/m]<br />

dJ/d(∆a) ∆astab<br />

[mm]<br />

0 225 287 0.11 3.0 1.5 1.93 0.42 7.7<br />

4 230 315 0.12 4.2 1.7 2.50 0.72 10.3<br />

Rtot<br />

[kJ/m 2 ]<br />

7 230 306 0.12 3.5 2.7 3.88 1.05 15.4

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!