Investigation of compression of SiCw/6061Al composites around the solidus of the matrix alloy

Compression test of SiCw/6061Al at the temperatures around the solidus of matrix alloy has been studied. Compression flow stress increases with increasing strain rate according to a power law σ=Kϵ̇m. At temperatures lower than the solidus of matrix, the m value is 0.32 and the activation energy of deformation is almost the same as that of aluminum self-diffusion, indicating a dislocation motion controlled by lattice diffusion deformation mechanism of the composite. At temperatures slightly higher than the solidus of the matrix, the m value is 0.5 and the activation energy of deformation is much higher than that of the self-diffusion of aluminum, indicating a grain boundary and interfacial sliding deformation mechanisms of the composite.