Interface Effects on the Quasi-Static and Impact Toughness of Discontinuously Reinforced Aluminum Laminates

摘要

Trilayer laminates consisting of two layers of aluminum alloy 7093 surrounding one layer of 7093/SiC/15 p were produced via two roll-bonding techniques as well as by adhesive bonding. The effects of systematic changes in interface characteristics (i.e., weak bond via roll bonding with a thin ductile interlayer material, stronger bond via roll bonding without a thin ductile interlayer, and strongest bond via adhesive bonding with a semibrittle material) on the subsequent laminate toughness was studied. The fracture resistance of the laminates and the constituent materials was examined via instrumented Charpy notched impact testing in the crack-arrester orientation as well as by fracture-toughness testing of bend bars tested in the crack-divider and the crack-arrester orientations. The notched impact resistance of the trilayer crack-arrester laminates was found to be greater than both monolithic 7093/SiC/15 p and 7093 samples of similar global thickness. The laminated structure promoted crack arrest, deflection, and large-scale deformation of the unreinforced layers, producing R-curve behavior. The tendency for interface delamination was predicted and confirmed based on recent mechanics-based analyses. The trilayer laminate structures tested in the crack-divider orientation exhibited a greater R-curve than either of the 7093/SiC/15 p or 7093 samples tested at similar global thickness. Both types of roll-bonded laminates (i.e., stronger interface and weak interface containing a thin metal interlayer) exhibited a greater enhancement in Charpy impact toughness and mode I fracture toughness than did the adhesively bonded (i.e., semibrittle interface) laminates. These relative improvements in toughness were rationalized by estimating the contributions to energy absorption by the delamination and crack bridging in these systems and by the effects of the interface type on these processes. These results are generally relevant to the performance of these materials under impact and under certain blast loading and penetration situations.