Mechanical Properties and Textures of ParticulatereinforcedAluminum Alloy Matrix Composite Under Hot‐ and Cold‐RollingConditions

A study has been made on the mechanical properties of an aluminumalloy matrix (Al–3.0wt% Cu–1.5 wt% Mg–0.4wt%Mn)composites reinforced with a volume fraction of15% silicon carbide under hot- and cold-rolling conditions. The preferred crystalliteorientation distribution functions (ODFs) of these rolledsheets were measured. The tensile test results showed that theultimate tensile strength and plasticity of the hot-rolledcomposite sheet are better than those of the cold-rolled one.However, the cold-rolled sheet specimen exhibits much higher0.2% offset yield strength than that in the case of hotrolling. The cold-rolling texture of this sheet composite isobtained from the development of hot-rolled texture only by alittle rotation about the related axes. It consists of randomtexture and three weak components,{ 001 }〈 110 〉 ,{ 110 }〈 112 〉 and{ 3314 }〈 773 〉 , while the hot rolling texture of the metal-matrixcomposite (MMC) sheet is almost random under the rolling reductionemployed. The preferred grain orientation has effect on the yieldstrength and no much influence on the ultimate tensile strength ofthe cold rolled sheet. The decrease in the ultimate tensilestrength of the cold-rolled specimen is mainly attributed to themicro-damages in the microstructure produced during cold rolling.