The hardening in alloys and composites and its examination with a diffraction and self-consistent model

The paper presents the results of diffraction stress measurement in Al/SiC composite and in 2124T6 aluminum alloy during the in situ tensile test. The main aim of the work is to observe the stress values for different stages of tensile test for the composite after applying two types of thermal treatment and for the alloy used as a matrix in this composite, to identify the type of hardening process. The experimental results were compared against the calculations results obtained from the self-consistent model developed by Baczmański [1] - [3] to gain the information about the micromechanical properties (critical resolved shear stress τ${}_{cr}$ and hardening parameter H) of the examined materials. This comparison allowed researchers to determine the role of reinforcement in the composite as well as the impact of the heat treatment on the hardening of the material.