A mesomechanical ductility model of SiCp/Al composite

Based on tensile cracking of SiCp and decohesion of the interface between SiCp and Al matrix, a mesome-chanical model for tensile deformation of SiCp/Al composites was developed. The microcracks and multi-scale second phase particles were assumed to distribute homogeneously. A nonlinear quantitative relationship between tensile ductility and volume fraction of SiCp was established based on the model. The tensile ductility values of 2xxx SiCp/Al and 6xxx SiCp/Al composites predicted by the model are in good agreement with the experimental values. The analysis of effects of multi-scale second phases on the ductility of the composites indicates that the ductility decreases with the increase of the volume fraction of SiCp and precipitates in Al matrix and is almost independent of constituents and dispersoids.