Micromechanical Analysis of Cyclic Behaviors for Metal-Matrix Composites

A new incremental method is proposed to predict the cyclic behavior of metal-matrix composites. In each incremental step, the matrix is considered to be an anisotropic material whose stiffness tensor is chosen as the tangent moduli of the matrix studied. The Eshelby tensor for an ellipsoidal inclusion embeded in an anisotropic matrix is calculated numerically. With the aid of Mori-Tanaka mean field theory and numerical solution of the Eshelby tensor, the incremental stress/strain relation of the composite is derived. The prediction of the tensile and cyclic hardening behavior for the particulate reinforced and whiskers reinforced SiC/AI metal-matrix composings agrees quantitatively well with the adults given in the literature.