Abstract
The effects of short fiber and particle hybrid reinforcement on fatigue crack propagation behaviors in aluminum matrix composites have been investigated. Single and hybrid reinforced 6061 aluminum containing same 20 $Al_2O_3\;volume\%$ with four different constituent ratios of short fibers and particles were prepared by squeeze casting method and tested to check the near-threshold and stable crack growth behavior. The fatigue threshold of the composites increased with portion of particle contents and showed the improved crack resistance especially in low stress intensity range. Addition of particle instead of short fiber also increased fracture toughness due to increase of inter-reinforcement distance. These increase in both fatigue threshold and fracture toughness eventually affected the fatigue crack growth behavior such that the crack growth curve shift low to high stress intensity factor value. Overall experimental results were shown that particle reinforcement was enhanced the fatigue crack resistance over the whole stress intensity factor range.
