Role of cladding in the notched tensile properties of a titanium matrix composite

Abstract

The utility of Ti cladding in alleviating the notch sensitivity of both the monotonic and cyclic tensile properties of Ti matrix composites (TMC) has been examined. Experiments have been conducted on panels with two different clad thicknesses as well as on the TMC alone. Crack bridging models have been used to describe the composite behavior, incorporating explicitly the effects of the cladding. It is demonstrated that the notched strength can be raised up to the level corresponding to the unnotched TMC alone, with a critical clad thickness that depends on the fracture properties of the TMC and the notch size. The fatigue threshold can be elevated also, though it cannot reach the threshold of the un-notched TMC. The bridging models have been used to calculate the trends in the strength and the fatigue threshold with the clad thickness.