Effects of Strength and Distribution of SiC on the Mechanical Properties of SiCp/Al Composites

Materials (Basel). 2022 Feb 9;15(4):1288. doi: 10.3390/ma15041288.

Abstract

In this paper, considering the strength and geometric discrete distribution characteristics of composite reinforcement, by introducing the discrete distribution function of reinforcement, the secondary development of ABAQUS is realized by using the Python language, the parametric automatic generation method of representative volume elements of particle-reinforced composites is established, and the tensile properties of silicon carbide particle-reinforced aluminum matrix composites are analyzed. The effects of particle strength, particle volume fraction, and particle random distribution on the mechanical properties of SiCp/Al composites are studied. The results show that the random distribution of particles and the change in particle strength have no obvious influence on the stress-strain relationship before the beginning of material damage, but have a great influence on the damage stage, maximum strength, and corresponding failure strain. With the increase in particle volume fraction, the damage intensity of the model increases, and the random distribution of particles has a great influence on the model with a large particle volume fraction. The results can provide a reference for the design, preparation, and characterization of particle-reinforced metal matrix composites.

Keywords: SiCp/Al composites; damage model; distribution of particle; mechanical properties; strength of particle; volume fraction of particle.