A STUDY ON THE LOW-CYCLE FATIGUE PROPERTIES OF SICP 6061 AL COMPOSITES/

Metal matrix composites (MMCs) were produced using a powder metallurgy method. Fatigue and tensile specimens were extruded and rolled before being machined. The matrix of the composite was a 6061 Al alloy and t he reinforcement was 180 mesh SiC particle (SiCp). Different weight fr actions (10, 20 and 30 wt %) of 180 mesh SiCp were introduced to deter mine the influence of the SiCp content on the tensile and low-cycle pr operties. Reasonable Coffin-Manson plots have been obtained in low-cyc le fatigue. More accountable data of fatigue ductility exponents and f atigue ductility coefficients have been obtained for the composites an d monolithic Al alloy. Increasing the content of SiCp has been shown t o encourage the development of particle cracks and resulted in the deg radation of fatigue properties.