Effect of annealing treatment on the stress corrosion cracking behavior of SiC whisker reinforced aluminum composite

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of SiCw/pure Al or SiCw/2024Al composite in 3.5% NaCl solution was studied using double cantilever beam method. The effect of annealing treatment on SCC behavior of the composites was examined. The results indicated that the annealing treatment had an influence on the SCC properties of the composites. With the increase of the annealing temperature, the threshold stress intensity factor, KISCC, increased and the steady propagation rate of SCC decreased, so that the SCC susceptibility of composites was improved.