A trial to estimate the tensile strength of whisker reinforced aluminum matrix composites

Abstract

Aluminum composites reinforced with beta type silicon carbide whisker were prepared by hot pressing in vacuum. The whiskers with different avarage length were dispersed and separated in an isopropyl alcohol-water mixture. To evaluate the strength of those composites, Kelly-Tyson's equation was tried to be modified. The modification was performed by introducing a strengthening factor consist of factors caused by (1) inclination of fiber, (2) bending of crossing fiber, (3) stress-concentrating of fiber end, (4) interface between matrix and fiber. The strength of composites could be estimated by that modified equation. The strengthening factor was 0.12. A critical fiber length of whisker was 11μm and did not depend upon the fiber volume fraction but upon the strengthening factor.