Analysis of Creep Behavior and Parametric Models for 2124 Al and 2124+SiC Composite

Abstract

The creep behavior of unreinforced 2124 aluminum and 2124 aluminum reinforced with 15 w/o silicon carbide whiskers was studied at temperatures from 250 F to 500 F. Tensile tests were conducted to determine the basic mechanical properties, and microstructural and chemical anyalyses were performed to characterize the starting materials. The creep, tensile, and microstructural data for the 2124+SiC composite were compared with a similarly processed unreinforced 2124 aluminum alloy. Applying the basic theories for power law creep developed for common metals and alloys, the creep stress exponents and activation energies for creep were determined from the experimental data. The results were used to identify creep deformation mechanisms and compared to predicted values based on a parametric approach for creep analysis. The results demonstrate the applicability of traditional creep analysis on non-traditional materials.