Objective The aim of the project is to provide a non destructive technique to characterize damage in aluminium matrix composites, which may negatively influence their fitness for use. The aim of the project is to provide a nondestructive technique to detect and characterize damage in aluminium matrix particle reinforced composites, which may negatively influence their fitness for use.Fatigue tests have been carried out and the most promising techniques were selected, being: determination of the acoustoelastic constants, the thermoelastic constants, phase velocity, backscattering techniques and high precision absolute velocity measurements. The selected nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques were improved for application to the specific materials and have been applied in various stages of the fatigue life. Modelling indicated the detectable damage levels.None of the tests revealed conclusive results. This indicates that the assumed damage models of gradual increasing voids to cracks are inappropriate and that early warning damage detection is extremely difficult. This may be regarded as a serious drawback of this material, which may seriously hamper future applications.Mechanical and thermo-mechanical behaviour depends strongly on the microstructural situation (e.g. volume fraction, defects introduced by fabrication, size distribution, etc.), the damage of the materials and the residual stress state. In addition to this, damage accumulation during service life restrict the lifetime. At present there is some empirical evidence of correlation between the results of ultrasonic tests, the microstructure and the progress of fatigue damage in metal matrix composites. Further progress requires understanding of the physical processes underlaying this correlation. This project aims at providing such an analysis, leading to a multiparameter approach for the ultrasonic characterization of metal matrix composites. Fields of science engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcompositesnatural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrypost-transition metals Programme(s) FP2-BRITE/EURAM 1 - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the fields of industrial manufacturing technologies and advanced materials applications (BRITE/EURAM), 1989-1992 Topic(s) Data not available Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme Data not available Coordinator Billiton Research BV EU contribution No data Address 6800 AA ARNHEM Netherlands See on map Total cost No data Participants (3) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Biosonic SARL France EU contribution No data Address 32 rue de la Resistance 59300 FAMARS See on map Total cost No data FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V. Germany EU contribution No data Address Universitaet, Gebaeude 37 66123 SAARBRUECKEN See on map Total cost No data Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Belgium EU contribution No data Address Krakenstraatt 3 3000 LEUVEN See on map Total cost No data
