Particle weakening in superplastic SiC/2124 Al composites at high temperature Original Research Article

High-strain-rate superplastic behavior of powder-metallurgy-processed 2124 Al matrix alloy and 10%, 20% and 30% SiC particulate reinforced 2124 Al composites were investigated over the temperature range from 370°C to 565°C, and the strain rate range from 10−4/s to 1/s. The true activation energy for the plastic flow after threshold stress compensation was close to that for lattice diffusion in aluminum for the 2124 Al alloy, while the activation energies for the 2124 composites were considerably higher than those for the unreinforced alloy, increasing with an increase in the volume fraction of SiC. The strength of the 2124 Al composites is lower than the strength of the 2124 Al alloy at high temperatures. The strength differential between the unreinforced and reinforced 2124 Al alloys is a function of temperature and is seen to decrease systematically with decrease in temperature and virtually vanishes at 460°C. Particle weakening is discussed in the light of load transfer effect, interphase diffusion, dissolution of second phase particles into matrix and the presence of liquid phase. It is proposed that interphase weakening, possibly with some liquid formation, is the principal factor contributing to the results obtained. Interphase and boundary sliding is believed to be the rate-controlling process in plastic flow of the SiC/2124 Al composites.