Short thermal fatigue crack propagation behavior of alumina short fibre reinforced aluminum matrix composites

Thermal fatigue resistance is one of the most important parameters to desig n engine materials. The thermal fatigue crack growth behavior of alumina sh ort fibre (V-f = 18 vol.%) reinforced AlSi12CuMgNi aluminum alloy composite has been investigated under thermal cycling condition between room tempera ture and 280 degrees C. Initiation and propagation of thermal fatigue crack have also been discussed. The results show that in the range of short crac k, the fibres play an important role in the path of thermal fatigue crack, and the crack propagation rate of composites is much larger than that of th e matrix alloy. (C) 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers.