Abstract
The mechanical properties of metal reinforced ceramics, especially Al/Al2O3 composites with interpenetrating networks, are described. Key parameters to tailor the characteristics of these materials are the ligament diameter and volume fraction of ductile reinforcement. Fracture strength and fracture toughness data are given as a function of both variables and are compared with the corresponding values for the porous preforms. A simple model accounts for the influence of metal volume and metal ligament diameter on the plateau toughness of the composites. The increase in fracture strength from the porous preform to the composite is found to be much larger than the gain which can be predicted from the increase in fracture toughness alone. A discussion of fracture strength in these composites therefore must include at least two issues, crack propagation through the matrix as well as crack initiation at metal filled pores.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 19-30 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Materials Science and Engineering: A |
| Volume | 197 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 30 1995 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Funding
We thank Maria Sycha for preparing the TEM specimens and Christina Scheu for performing part of the experiments and analysis. S.K.S. wishes to thank the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung for financial support. This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft under contract number Ro 954/1-1 and the Volkswagen Foundation under contract number 1/66 760.
Keywords
- Al/AlO composites
- Fracture
- Interpenetrating networks