EXPERIMENTAL TESTING OF Al-Si12/SiC INTERPENETRATING COMPOSITES (IPC) IN UNIAXIAL TENSION AND COMPRESSION

The mechanical response of interpenetrating co-continuous composite Al-Si12/SiC3D was described for uniaxial tension and compression. The internal structure of the IPC was examined by optical microscopy and micro-CT. The apparent density and Young's modulus were assessed theoretically and experimentally. Uniaxial tensile tests were performed using the prismatic samples of dimensions 1 mm x 2 mm x 30 mm. Cylindrical samples of diameters cent = 5 mm and height h = 10 mm were subjected to quasi -static uniaxial compressive loading. During tests, the side surfaces of the specimen were observed using a digital image correlation system (DIC) to find strain fields and to monitor the surface cracks development in the complex internal microstructure of the IPC.The analyzed two-phase ICP was manufactured using ceramic foam SiC infiltrated by alloy Al-Si12. This material finds ap-plication in cosmic, airplane, or automobile industries, due to their excellent tribological, heat distribution, and ballistic properties.Obtained results show different modes of microcracking and fracture of cylindrical and prismatic samples. They indicate the substantial influence of the ceramic skeleton on the behavior of the IPC under uniaxial states of loading. Different modes of damage related to the tension or compression loading were described in detail. The results can find application in the designing process of modern co-continuous IPCs and further development of the numerical models of degradation processes.