Effect of Heat Treatment and Interfacial Characteristics on the Work Hardening Behaviour of a SiC Reinforced Aluminum Metal-Matrix Composite

An understanding of the work hardening behavior of particulate reinforced metal-matrix composites is crucial in optimizing the parameters for deformation processing of these materials. The microstructure and interfacial properties of these composites can be altered by the choice of the heat treatment used. These interfacial properties in turn determine the mechanical behavior of these materials. In this study, a SiC reinforced aluminum metal matrix composite was subject to two different heat treatments to modify the matrix/reinforcement interfacial characteristics. A model, developed earlier, was then used to relate the work hardening behavior to microstructural parameters. It is shown that the model is applicable for both the heat treatments studied.