Effect of loading velocity and testing temperature on the fracture toughness of a SiCw/6061Al alloy composite

The effects of loading velocity and testing temperature on the fracture toughness of a SiC whisker reinforced 6061 aluminum alloy composite were investigated. A precracked three-point bend specimen configuration was selected for fracture toughness measurement, with tests being conducted at loading velocities of 10−2–10 m s−1, and from room temperature to 473 K. The results showed that the fracture toughness increases with increasing loading velocity, but, the difference with respect to room temperature is small, because the fracture toughness decreases slowly with the increase of testing temperature. The composite material failed mainly by whisker pull-out and whisker breaking.