The stress distribution in a fiber reinforced composite induced by cooling and heating and its change by subsequent tensile/compressive loading are calculated. The results are discussed in the light of various experimental data for the Al-Al₃Ni eutectic composite.
The method used for the analysis of stress and strain distribution is based on Brown’s one, into which the effect of thermal is incorporated. The constitutive equation for the Al matrix is assumed to be two-fold. In the high temperature range (above 523 K), an equation which is derived from the data for steady state deformation of pure aluminum with Orowan’s stress taken as the threshold stress is applied. In the low temperature range, a power law equation which is obtained from tensile tests of pure aluminum is assumed.
It is shown that the present calculations are useful for the understanding of the thermomechanical behavior of the Al-Al₃Ni eutectic composites with different interfiber spacings.