Abstract
The fatigue behavior of a naturally aged powder metallurgy 2xxx series aluminum alloy (Alcoa MB85) and a composite made of this alloy with 15 vol pct SiCp, has been investigated. Fatigue lives were determined using load-controlled axial testing of unnotched cylindrical samples. The influence of mean stress was determined at stress ratios of −1, 0.1, and 0.7. Mean stress had a significant influence on fatigue life, and this influence was consistent with that normally observed in metals. At each stress ratio, the incorporation of SiC reinforcement led to an increase in fatigue life at low and intermediate stresses. When considered on a strain-life basis, however, the composite materials had a somewhat inferior resistance to fatigue. Fatigue cracks initiated from several different microstructural features or defect types, but fatigue life did not vary significantly with the specific initiation site. As the fatigue crack advanced away from the fatigue crack initiation site, increasing numbers of SiC particles were fractured, in agreement with crack-tip process zone models.
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