Micromechanical and Nanoscratch Behavior of SiC Dispersed Metal Matrix Composites.

Micromechanical response of silicon carbide particle dispersed Al/Mg/Ti/Cu composite, synthesized by powder metallurgy technique was investigated. A correlation between their microhardness and nanomechanical properties at submicron length scale was established. Hardening effect of SiC particles on the hardness, elastic modulus, recovery index, and plastic energy of the matrices was prominent and may be due to the interactions between geometrically necessary and statistically stored dislocations along with their impediment with dispersoids-matrix interface. The elastic recovery obtained from nanoscratch measurement was also correlated with the recovery parameter, which was derived from the nanoindentation of the composite compacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]