AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES OF AN AL-SICW COMPOSITE

This paper presents initial results of an experimental study of the dynamic deformation and dynamic fracture behavior of a 2124-T6 aluminum alloy. Two types of tests are described, one to provide static and dynamic stress-strain curves of the material in shear and the other to measure static and dynamic values of the critical stress intensity factors, KK//I//c and K//I//d, for tensile fracture. Results show that the presence of the reinforcing whiskers raises the dynamic and static flow stress of the material in shear. It is also evident that the reinforced material has considerably more ductility in shear than it has in axial deformation. As expected, the fracture response, as measured by the critical stress intensity factor K//I//c, is not as favorable for the reinforced material as for the unreinforced.