Publication | Open Access
Strengthening Mechanism in Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/SiC Particulate Composites
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1994
Year
Materials ScienceMaterials EngineeringAl2o3/sic CompositesEngineeringMetal Matrix CompositeParticulate ReinforcementCeramic MaterialMechanical EngineeringApplied PhysicsSic ParticlesAl2o3 GrainsCarbideParticulate CompositesStructural CeramicMicrostructureCeramic Matrix Composite
Effects of sub-grain-boundaries (SGB) formed in Al2O3 grains and residual stress caused by additions of SiC particles in Al2O3 phase on the strength of Al2O3/SiC composites were investigated. The number of the SGB and the residual tensile stress in Al2O3 were found to increase with increasing SiC content. The experimental results suggest that the strengthening in Al2O3/SiC composites is attributable not only to the formation of the SGB but also to the toughness increases which is possibly related with the residual stress. The strengthening by annealing in Ar was also investigated. The annealing resulted in the strength increase of more than 200MPa, whereas the annealed and subsequently ground specimens did not show the strength increase. It is therefore concluded that the strengthening due to the anneal is mainly caused by healing of surface defects.