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ARCHIWUM ODLEWNICTWA

Rok 2006, Rocznik 6, Nr 18 (1/2)


ARCHIVES OF FOUNDRY
Year 2006, Volume 6, No 18 (1/2)
PAN Katowice PL ISSN 1642-5308

44/18

FRACTURE TOUGHNESS EXAMINATION OF THE


ALUMINIUM MATRIX COMPOSITE REINFORCED WITH
CHOPPED CARBON FIBRES
Z. KONOPKA1 , P. CHMIELOWIEC2, A.ZYSKA3, M. GIEWKA4,
Czstochowa University of Technology, Armii Krajowej 19, 42-200 Czstochowa.
R. BALAWENDER5 POLMAG, Kdzierzyn-Kole
SUMMARY
The results of the stress intensity factor measurements of the A356 alloy matrix
composites with chopped carbon fibres were presented in this paper. Composites
containing different length and volume fractions of chopped carbon fibres were
prepared by stirring and squeeze casting method. Insignificant increase of the stress
intensity factor in composite containing 12.5% vol. of carbon fibres was observed in
comparison with the squeezed pure A356 alloy, however the significant increase was
noticed in comparison with the gravity cast A356 alloy.
Key words: aluminium, composites, fracture toughness, squeeze casting
1. INTRODUCTION
The squeeze casting process has a many of advantages over sand casting and gravity
die casting for Al alloys. Solidification process takes place under a high applied
pressure where excellent feeding of solidification shrinkage and a refined
microstructure due to high cooling rates are achieved. The absence of shrinkage
porosity, combined with a fine-scale microstructure results in very good mechanical
properties for both conventional aluminium alloys castings and aluminium alloys matrix
1

dr hab. in.prof.P.Cz. konopka@mim.pcz.czest.pl


dr in.chmiel@mim.pcz.czest.pl.
3
dr in. zyska@mim.pcz.czest pl.
4
dr in. cis@mim.pcz.czest.pl
5
mgr in.
2

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composites. [1]. Stress-transfer analysis for fibre-matrix interfaces in shortfibrereinforced composites shows strength and resistance fracture toughness improving of
these materials [2]. It was found that the end interface of a short fibre is easy to debond
in the loading process. After the debonding of the end interface, the stress transfer from
matrix to fibre depends on shear stress on the axial interface only [3].
2. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
2.1. Production technology of tested composite
The A356 aluminium alloy as a composite matrix and short carbon fibres, 7 m in
diameter and 3mm or 7mm long were used to prepare of composites. Two different
volume fractions 7.5% and 12.5% of carbon fibres in composites were added.
Aluminium alloy was overheated to 1000K and carbon fibres were incorporated into
liquid metal during mechanical stirring. Melting and mixing were realised in argon
atmosphere. After mixing the composite slurry was placed inside a metallic die heated
to 573K. Indirect squeeze casting process was applied with a pressure of 75 MPa.
2.2 Fracture toughness testing procedure
Two fracture parameters were used to describe fracture toughness of the material.
The first one was stress intensity factor KIc and the second one was JIc integral [4]. The
testing was conducted on the Single Edge Notch Bend specimens, which were cut of the
cast flats (Fig.1). Each specimen was loaded by three-point bending using the MTS-810
tensile machine. During the loading, force P, crack opening displacement COD and
load-line displacement f were measured with the aid of standard MTS instrumentation.

Fig. 1. Proportional dimensions and tolerances for tested


three-point bend specimen
Rys. 1. Wymiary i tolerancje prbki do prby trjpunktowego zginania

3. RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTS
Calculations of stress intensity factor KIc were carried through the assistance of load
Pcrack opening displacement COD curves. An example curve, which represents
composite with fibres length 3 mm and volume fibres fraction 7,5 % is shown in Fig.2

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The critical load PC which initialises the crack growth was found with the assistance of
the graphical technique described in form [5].

K =
Q

P Y
c
B W

(1)

where: PC - load at initial cracking point; B - thickness; W - width; Y = f(a0/W).

The values of stress intensity factor KIc for all of the tested specimens were determined
using equation (1). The composites during testing showed some small plastic
deformation near the tip of crack as well.

Fig. 2. Typical curve recorded during loading the specimens. (PC initial cracking point)
Rys. 2. Typowa krzywa zarejestrowana podczas obcienia
prbki. (Pc-punkt inicjujcy pkanie)

The plastic zone before crack tip might have an effect on KQ value. Therefore it is
recommended to check if the tested specimens were loaded in presence of plane strain
state. That condition is mathematically identified [6] with equation (2).
2

K
B
= 2.5 Q
min

u

where:

(2)

u - ultimate tensile strength, MPa ; KQ - stress intensity factor, MPa m ; Bmin-minimum


thickness of specimen required for plane strain state condition.

In Table 1 the results of fracture toughness are shown. Answer Yes means that the
calculated KQ does not depend on the geometry of tested specimens and it could be used
to describe fracture toughness of the composites. In a opposite case the value of KQ
should not be used as fracture parameter, which classify fracture toughness in tested

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composites The J-integral testing was based on the ASTM E 813-89 procedure [7]. The
authors resigned themselves to the impossibility of finding out the initial cracking point
for the tested composites following the procedure accurately. The techniques described
there were modified to measure fracture toughness of the tested composites. J-integral
value was evaluated following equation (3).

max .

2 E
B (W a )

(3)

where: E - energy absorbed by specimen at maximum load, B-thickness; W-width; a0-crack length
Table 1. Fracture toughness of composites measured by stress intensity factor
Tabela 1. Odporno na pkanie mierzona wspczynnikiem intensywnoci naprenia
Fiber
%

Fibre length
mm

Bmin
mm

0 (matrix)

3.9

KQ
MPa m
5.9

Is
KQ=KIc?
YES

7.5

7.6

8.3

YES

12.5

10.0

9.5

NO

7.5

7.8

8,4

YES

12.5

11.3

10.1

NO

Energy E absorbed by the specimen at maximum load was measured carried through the
assistance of load Pload-line displacement curves. Absorbed energy E was identified
with the area under the curve shown for example in Fig.3 for composite containing
7.5% vol. of 3 mm carbon fibres.

Fig. 3. Load P vs. load-line displacement f curve


Rys. 3. Krzywa obcienie-przemieszczenie

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The measurements of the area were done using the planimeter. Each area under P vs. f
curves was measured three times with relative error lower then 5%. The complete
results of calculations Jintegral at the maximum load are shown in Table 2. Each value
of Jmax inserted in the table is an average of three Jmax results obtained on three-point
bended specimens. Example of the fracture surface (SEM) of the composite tested is
shown in Fig.4.
Table 2. Fracture toughness of composites measured by Jintegral parameter at maximum load
Tabela 2. Odporno na pkanie kompozytw mierzona cak J przy maksymalnym obcieniu
Fiber

Fibre length

Jmax.

%
0 (matrix)

mm

N/mm

0,76

7.5

1,78

12.5

3,57

7.5

0,95

12.5

0,59

Fig. 4. Fractograph of composite (7.5% carbon fibres, 3mm long)


Rys. 4. Fraktografia kompozytu (7.5% wkien wglowych, 3mm dugoci)

4. CONCLUSIONS
The technology used for the production of composites Al-Si - carbon fibres allowed
their fracture toughness to increase compared to pure Al-Si matrix.
1. The fracture toughness of Al-Si-carbon fibres composites gradually increased as a
function of the weight fibres fraction. The maximum value of stress intensity factor

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KIc was 8,4 MPa m for composite with fibre friction 12.5% and length of fibre 7
mm.
2. Fracture toughness testing carried out using KIc parameter should be taken on
specimens with larger thickness, which guarantees plain strain state in tested
specimens.
REFERENCES
[1] C.P. Hong, H.F. Shen, S.M. Lee: Prevention of macrodefects in squeeze casting of
an Al-7wt pct Si alloy Metallurgical and materials Transaction B Vol.31B, 2000,
p.297.
[2] M.R. Ghomashchi, A.Vikhrov: Squeeze casting: an overview Journ. Of Materials
Processing Technology 101, 2000, p.1.
[3] H. Akbulut, M. Durman: Temperature dependent strength analysis of short fibre
reinforced Al-Si metal matrix composites. Materials Science and Engineering
A262, 1999, p.214.
[4] ISO/DIS 12135, 1999. Metallic Materials - Unified Method of Test for the
Determination of Quasistatic Fracture Toughness.
[5] BS 5447, 1977. Methods of Test for Plane Strain Fracture Toughness KIC of Metallic
Materials.
[6] Broek D.: The Practical Use of Fracture Mechanics. Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic
Publishers, 1989.
[7] ASTM E 813-89. Standard Test Method for JIC, A Measure of Fracture Toughness.
BADANIE ODPORNOCI NA PKANIE KOMPOZYTU
NA OSNOWIE STOPU ALUMINIUM UMOCNIONEGO
CITYMI WKNAMI WGLOWYMI
STRESZCZENIE
Wytworzono kompozyty na osnowie stopu A356 z cietymi wknami wglowymi
o rednicy 7m i dugoci 3 i 7 mm oraz udziale objtociowym 7.5% i 12%
objtociowo. Kompozyty wykonano metod mieszania i prasowania w stanie ciekostaym. Wykonano badania odpornoci na pkanie badanych kompozytw.
.Zaobserwowano wzrost wspczynnika intensywnoci napre i odpornoci na
pkanie kompozytw w porwnaniu ze stopem osnowy.
Recenzowa: Prof. Zbigniew Stradomski

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