Composite structural modeling and mechanical behavior of whisker reinforced Cu matrix composites

Abstract To study the effect of TiB whisker on the mechanical properties of copper matrix composites (CMCs), a 3D microscopic TiB/Cu finite element model was established. By using the geometric features of TiB whisker obtained from the scanning electron microscopes (SEM), random dispersions of the length, the diameter, the positions and the volume fractions of TiB whiskers were numerically reconstructed in line with their actual microscopic structures. Brittle fractures of whisker, ductile damage and failure behaviors of matrix, and whisker–matrix interfacial behaviors are introduced in the model to simulate the mechanical behavior of TiB/Cu. The results show that when the length of TiB whisker exceeds 6d, the tensile strength of TiB/Cu tend to be stable at 320 MPa and the elongation tend to be stable at 0.086, where d is the diameter of TiB whisker. The effective length of whisker in TiB/Cu is 6d. Damage mechanisms in TiB/Cu were revealed by analyzing the average stress in the end and the middle of TiB whisker, and the simulation results were consistent with the experimental observations. This work provides a theoretical basis for the selection and optimization of parameters of reinforcement phase in preparation of TiB/Cu.