Abstract
This paper investigates the progressive damage and failure behavior of unidirectional graphite fiber-reinforced aluminum composites (CF/Al composites) under transverse and longitudinal tensile loadings. Micromechanical finite element analyses are carried out using different assumptions regarding fiber, matrix alloy, and interface properties. The validity of these numerical analyses is examined by comparing the predicted stress-strain curves with the experimental data measured under transverse and longitudinal tensile loadings. Assuming a perfect interface, the transverse tensile strength is overestimated by more than 180% and the transverse fracture induced by fiber failure is unrealistic based on the experimental observations. In fact, the simulation and experiment results indicate that the interface debonding arising from the matrix alloy failure dominates the transverse fracture, and the influence of matrix alloy properties on the mechanical behavior is inconspicuous. In the case of longitudinal tensile testing, however, the characteristic of interface bonding has no significant effect on the macroscopic mechanical response due to the low in-situ strength of the fibers. It is demonstrated that ultimate longitudinal fracture is mainly controlled by fiber failure mechanisms, which is confirmed by the fracture morphology of the tensile samples.
Highlights
Continuous fiber-reinforced aluminum matrix composites (CF/Al composites) have been intensively studied over the last few decades [1]
The material parameters of the matrix alloy in the micromechanical finite element analysis (MFEA)-A, MFEA-B, and MFEA-D models are set as the data of the matrix alloy listed in Table 4, whereas the matrix material parameters in the MFEA-C model are set to those of the as-cast alloy (Table 4)
The imperfect interface in the MFEA-A, MFEA-C, and MFEA-D models was described by the cohesive zone model, which is defined by setting the constitutive parameters in the bilinear traction-separation law to those described in Section 3.2.3, while the perfect interface in the MFEA-B model is set by tying the fiber surface to the matrix surface in ABAQUS
Summary
Continuous fiber-reinforced aluminum matrix composites (CF/Al composites) have been intensively studied over the last few decades [1]. The properties of CF/Al composites can be tailored by tuning the microstructure parameters, including the fiber volume fraction, woven structure, and spatial/size distribution of the carbon fibers [4,5]. E.g., squeeze casting or gas pressure infiltration, are the most popular methods to fabricate CF/Al composites [1,6]. Aluminum melt is impregnated into fiber preform by applying high pressure until the melt solidifies. The advantages of the techniques include the uniform dispersion of carbon fibers in the matrix and the ability to produce near-net-shaped composite parts. The high processing temperature can induce serious fiber-matrix interfacial reactions, which can deteriorate the mechanical properties of the CF/Al composites [7]
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