Fatigue in SiC-particulate-reinforced aluminium alloy composites

The fatigue behaviour in SiC-particulate-reinforced aluminium alloy composites has been briefly reviewed. The improved fatigue life reported in stress-controlled test results from the higher stiffness of the composites; therefore it is generally inferior to monolithic alloys at a constant strain level. The role of SiC particulate reinforcement has been examined for fatigue crack initiation, short-crack growth and long-crack growth. Crack initiation is observed to occur at matrix-SiC interface in cast composites and either at or near the matrix-SiC interface or at cracked SiC particles in powder metallurgy processed composites depending on particle size and morphology. The da/dN vs ΔK relationship in the composites is characterized by crack growth rates existing within a narrow range of ΔK and this is because of the lower fracture toughness and relatively high threshold values in composites compared with those in monolithic alloys. An enhanced Paris region slope attributed to the monotonic fracture contribution are reported and the extent of this contribution is found to depend on particle size. The effects of the aging condition on crack growth rates and particle size dependence of threshold values are also treated in this paper. © 1991.

Short and long fatigue crack growth in a SiC reinforced aluminium alloy

Fatigue crack growth behaviour in a 15 wt% SiC particulate reinforced 6061 aluminium alloy has been examined using pre-cracked specimens. Crack initiation and early growth of fatigue cracks in smooth specimens has also been investigated using the technique of periodic replication. The composite contained a bimodal distribution of SiC particle sizes, and detailed attention was paid to interactions between the SiC particles and the growing fatigue-crack tip. At low stress intensity levels, the proportion of coarse SiC particles on the fatigue surfaces was much smaller than that on the metallographic sections, indicating that the fatigue crack tends to run through the matrix avoiding SiC particles. As the stress intensity level increases, the SiC particles ahead of the growing fatigue crack tip are fractured and the fatigue crack then links the fractured particles. The contribution of this monotonic fracture mode resulted in a higher growth rate for the composite than for the unreinforced alloy. An increase in the proportion of cracked, coarse SiC particles on the fatigue surface was observed for specimens tested at a higher stress ratio.

Embedded fibre Bragg grating array sensors in aluminium alloy matrix by ultrasonic consolidation

Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) array sensors have been successfully embedded in aluminium alloy matrix by ultrasonic consolidation (UC) technique. The temperature and loading responses of the embedded FBG arrays have been systematically characterised. The embedded grating sensors exhibit an average temperature sensitivity of ~36pm/°C, which is three times higher than that of normal FBGs, and a loading responsivity of ~0.1nm/kg within the dynamic range from 0kg to 3kg. This initial experiment clearly demonstrates that FBG array sensors can be embedded in metal matrix together with other passive and active fibres to fabricate smart materials to monitor the operation and health of engineering structures.

Evaluation of the castability of a Co-Cr-Mo-W alloy varying the investing technique

O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar a fusibilidade de ligas de Co-Cr-Mo-W (Remanium 2000), Ni-Cr (Durabond) e Co-Cr-Mo (Vera-PDI), incluídas em revestimentos à base de fosfato, sílica ou utilizando uma técnica mista. Uma rede de nylon quadrada (10 X 10 mm) com 100 espaços abertos serviu de modelo para construção de padrões de cera, que foram incluídos com revestimento à base de sílica, revestimento fosfatado e técnica mista (camada de revestimento fosfatado com 2 mm de espessura + revestimento à base de sílica). Quarenta e cinco espécimes (5 para cada condição experimental) foram fundidos sob chama de gás-oxigênio e a seguir jateados com óxido de alumínio. O número de segmentos fundidos completos foi contado para obter uma percentagem designada como "valor de fusibilidade", representando a precisão da liga em reproduzir os detalhes do molde. A análise estatística por meio de ANOVA a dois critérios e teste Tukey mostrou que, comparando-se as ligas, a Remanium 2000 teve fusibilidade estaticamente semelhante (p>0,05) à da Vera PDI e inferior à da liga Durabond (p<0,05). Considerando os resultados da técnica mista, a liga Remanium 2000 teve menor valor de fusibilidade (p<0,05) que as ligas Durabond e Vera PDI, que apresentaram valores estatisticamente semelhantes entre si (p>0,05). Concluindo, a fusibilidade da liga de Co-Cr-Mo-W (Remanium 2000) foi comparável à da liga de Co-Cr (Vera PDI) e inferior à da liga de Ni-Cr alloy (Durabond). À exceção da liga Remanium 2000, a técnica de inclusão mista aumentou consideravelmente a capacidade das ligas testadas de reproduzir os detalhes do molde, quando comparada à técnica de inclusão em revestimento fosfatado. A técnica de inclusão mista representa uma alternativa para melhorar a fusibilidade de ligas de metais básicos sem afetar a qualidade superficial das peças metálicas.

Evaluation of the castability of a Co-Cr-Mo-W alloy varying the investing technique

O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar a fusibilidade de ligas de Co-Cr-Mo-W (Remanium 2000), Ni-Cr (Durabond) e Co-Cr-Mo (Vera-PDI), incluídas em revestimentos à base de fosfato, sílica ou utilizando uma técnica mista. Uma rede de nylon quadrada (10 X 10 mm) com 100 espaços abertos serviu de modelo para construção de padrões de cera, que foram incluídos com revestimento à base de sílica, revestimento fosfatado e técnica mista (camada de revestimento fosfatado com 2 mm de espessura + revestimento à base de sílica). Quarenta e cinco espécimes (5 para cada condição experimental) foram fundidos sob chama de gás-oxigênio e a seguir jateados com óxido de alumínio. O número de segmentos fundidos completos foi contado para obter uma percentagem designada como "valor de fusibilidade", representando a precisão da liga em reproduzir os detalhes do molde. A análise estatística por meio de ANOVA a dois critérios e teste Tukey mostrou que, comparando-se as ligas, a Remanium 2000 teve fusibilidade estaticamente semelhante (p>0,05) à da Vera PDI e inferior à da liga Durabond (p<0,05). Considerando os resultados da técnica mista, a liga Remanium 2000 teve menor valor de fusibilidade (p<0,05) que as ligas Durabond e Vera PDI, que apresentaram valores estatisticamente semelhantes entre si (p>0,05). Concluindo, a fusibilidade da liga de Co-Cr-Mo-W (Remanium 2000) foi comparável à da liga de Co-Cr (Vera PDI) e inferior à da liga de Ni-Cr alloy (Durabond). À exceção da liga Remanium 2000, a técnica de inclusão mista aumentou consideravelmente a capacidade das ligas testadas de reproduzir os detalhes do molde, quando comparada à técnica de inclusão em revestimento fosfatado. A técnica de inclusão mista representa uma alternativa para melhorar a fusibilidade de ligas de metais básicos sem afetar a qualidade superficial das peças metálicas.

First-principles investigation of the alloy scattering potential in dilute Si1-xCx

A first-principles method is applied to find the intra and intervalley n-type carrier scattering rates for substitutional carbon in silicon. The method builds on a previously developed first-principles approach with the introduction of an interpolation technique to determine the intravalley scattering rates. Intravalley scattering is found to be the dominant alloy scattering process in Si1-xCx, followed by g-type intervalley scattering. Mobility calculations show that alloy scattering due to substitutional C alone cannot account for the experimentally observed degradation of the mobility. We show that the incorporation of additional charged impurity scattering due to electrically active interstitial C complexes models this residual resistivity well.

First principles calculation of electron-phonon and alloy scattering in strained SiGe

First-principles electronic structure methods are used to predict the mobility of n-type carrier scattering in strained SiGe. We consider the effects of strain on the electron-phonon deformation potentials and the alloy scattering parameters. We calculate the electron-phonon matrix elements and fit them up to second order in strain. We find, as expected, that the main effect of strain on mobility comes from the breaking of the degeneracy of the six Δ and L valleys, and the choice of transport direction. The non-linear effects on the electron-phonon coupling of the Δ valley due to shear strain are found to reduce the mobility of Si-like SiGe by 50% per % strain. We find increases in mobility between 2 and 11 times that of unstrained SiGe for certain fixed Ge compositions, which should enhance the thermoelectric figure of merit in the same order, and could be important for piezoresistive applications.

First-principles calculation of P-type alloy scattering in Si1-xGex

The p-type carrier scattering rate due to alloy disorder in Si1-xGex alloys is obtained from first principles. The required alloy scattering matrix elements are calculated from the energy splitting of the valence bands, which arise when one average host atom is replaced by a Ge or Si atom in supercells containing up to 128 atoms. Alloy scattering within the valence bands is found to be characterized by a single scattering parameter. The hole mobility is calculated from the scattering rate using the Boltzmann transport equation in the relaxation time approximation. The results are in good agreement with experiments on bulk, unstrained alloys..

First-principles calculation of alloy scattering in GexSi1-x

First-principles electronic structure methods are used to find the rates of intravalley and intervalley n-type carrier scattering due to alloy disorder in Si1-xGex alloys. The required alloy scattering matrix elements are calculated from the energy splitting of nearly degenerate Bloch states which arises when one average host atom is replaced by a Ge or Si atom in supercells containing up to 128 atoms. Scattering parameters for all relevant Delta and L intravalley and intervalley alloy scattering are calculated. Atomic relaxation is found to have a substantial effect on the scattering parameters. f-type intervalley scattering between Delta valleys is found to be comparable to other scattering channels. The n-type carrier mobility, calculated from the scattering rate using the Boltzmann transport equation in the relaxation time approximation, is in excellent agreement with experiments on bulk, unstrained alloys.