Investigating the Effects and Mechanisms of Thermal Vibration Coupled Stress Relief Treatment on Residual Stress in SiC/Al Composites

Investigating the Effects and Mechanisms of Thermal Vibration Coupled Stress Relief Treatment on Residual Stress in SiC/Al Composites | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Investigating the Effects and Mechanisms of Thermal Vibration Coupled Stress Relief Treatment on Residual Stress in SiC/Al Composites Bianhong Li, Wu Ouyang, Shuguang Chen, Hanjun Gao This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4687014/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Particle-reinforced aluminum matrix composites (PRAMCs) often exhibit significant residual stresses after quenching, which can detrimentally impact fatigue life and dimensional stability. Conventional stress relief treatments for aluminum alloys only partially alleviate these residual stresses. In this study, thermal stress relief (TSR), vibratory stress relief (VSR), and thermal-vibratory coupled stress relief (TVSR) treatments were investigated to relieve quenching residual stresses in SiC/Al composites. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of all three treatments in reducing residual stresses, with the greatest stress relief observed in the direction of maximum dynamic stress. Moreover, micro residual stresses obtained from the Macro-micro residual stress finite element (FE) model were analyzed to discuss the variations in stress relief effects. Further optimization of the TVSR process holds promise for effectively mitigating residual stresses in SiC/Al composits. Thermal vibration coupled stress relief Macro-micro stress Metallic composites Residual stress Simulation and modelling Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 1. Introduction The preparation process of particle-reinforced aluminum matrix composites often generates significant residual stress that is difficult to eliminate.Residual stress is a double-edged sword, and the residual compressive stress after shot peening helps to improve the fatigue life of materials [ 1 , 2 ], however, most residual stresses can pose a threat to the material. An unreasonable residual stress distribution generated during the preparation process can potentially reduce the material's mechanical properties [ 3 ], inflict damage[ 4 ], decrease fatigue life, and impair dimensional stability [ 5 ]. Currently, the stress relief process for Al alloy is relatively mature[ 6 ]. However, there is still relatively limited research on the elimination of residual stress in PRAMCs. The incorporation of SiC particles into the Al alloy alters the evolution of residual stress during heat treatment [ 7 , 8 ] Previous research has primarily focused on the effects of material preparation and heat treatment on the mechanical properties and microstructure of PRAMCs, with fewer studies addressing residual stresses within these composites. Therefore, This study aims to investigate the residual stress relief of SiC/Al composites based on the stress relief process of Al alloy and applying TSR, VSR, and TVSR treatments to SiC/Al composites fabricated via PM. The objective is to explore the residual stress regulation effect and the applicability of these treatments on PRAMCs, providing valuable guidance for residual stress regulation methods in PRAMCs. 2. Experimental procedures 2.1 Specimen and experiment process This study utilized 20 vol.% SiC/Al-Cu-Mg composite plates prepared via the powder metallurgy (PM) process, with particles averaged size of 5 µm and the dimensions of the materials are provided in Fig. 1 (a). Based on previous research [ 6 , 9 ], the specimens underwent a heat treatment at 490°C for 60 min for solid solution treatment, followed by quenching in water at room temperature. This process represented the initial state of the specimens without any stress relief procedure and was labeled as process #0. Subsequent specimens underwent varying stress relief treatment, as depicted in Fig. 1 (b). 2.2 TVSR equipment and flow TVSR is a method that combines VSR and TSR[ 6 , 9 ]. This technique involves applying a suitable vibratory load to the workpiece at a specific temperature to effectively eliminate stresses via the combined influence of thermal and mechanical loads. The TVSR equipment utilized in this study was developed by Beihang university, depicted in Fig. 1 (c), and its operating principles are illustrated in Fig. 1 (d). The vibration system’s operational frequency and specimen positioning on the vibration platform were determined through ANSYS modal analysis. The FE simulation model, as shown in Fig. 1 (e) shows the first-order modal frequency was 60.03 Hz, indicating a bending-type vibration mode. However, the second-order modal frequency exceeded the operational speed range of the exciter, as shown in Fig. 1 (g). Additionally, the first modal frequency of the vibration platform, measured using the hammer modal method, was 60.8 Hz, consistent with the simulation results. Therefore, the speed of the exciter was set to 3600 rpm. The installation position of the sample is depicted in Fig. 1 (f). Previous studies have shown that TSR and TVSR at 175°C can effectively eliminate residual stresses in 2XXX series Al alloys [ 6 , 9 ]. Therefore, this study selected an experimental temperature of 175°C. 3. Results and disscussion 3.1 Redisual stress results of SiC/Al composites Figure 2 illustrates the results of the stress relief treatment on SiC/Al composite material. After quenching, the SiC/Al composite exhibits substantial compressive stress on the surface, with higher stress observed in the Y-direction compared to the X-direction. The application of TSR, VSR, and TVSR treatments effectively reduces the stress. However, it is noted that the stress reduction in SiC/Al is significantly lower than that in 2024Al[ 6 ]. In terms of directional stress, the TVSR process demonstrates a remarkable reduction in stress in the X-direction compared to the Y-direction, while the differences between TSR and VSR processes in directional stress reduction are less pronounced. When considering the von Mises stress, the effectiveness of stress reduction is observed as TSR > TVSR (#2, #3) > VSR. It can be explained in this way, the shape of the sample can lead to differences in the direction of TSR stress relief. For the TVSR process, the first-order modal frequency of the vibration platform is used, and the vibration mode at this modal frequency is a first-order bending vibration mode. The dynamic stress in the X direction is more obvious, so the residual stress in the dynamic stress coupling makes the stress in the X direction greater. Therefore, the residual stress in this direction is more easily relaxed, as confirmed by previous research [ 6 ]. 3.2 Stress evolution mechanism A Macro-micro FE model was developed to analyze the quenching process of 20 vol.% SiC/Al composites, as shown in Fig. 3 (a). The model was divided into macroscopic and microscopic levels. The macroscopic model simulated the macro residual stresses generated during quenching from 490°C to 25°C, while the microscopic model calculated the microscopic stresses during quenching. The properties for SiC and Al alloy were referenced from the reference [ 10 ], while the properties for SiC/Al composites were obtained through homogenization method [ 10 ]. The surface of the specimen exhibited compressive stress, while the core region experienced tensile stress, as shown in Fig. 3 (b). The stress state at the surface center of the specimen was − 112 MPa in the X-direction and − 125 MPa in the Y-direction. The FE simulation results also indicated that the residual stress in the Y direction was relatively large, which is consistent with the results in the literature [ 11 ]. The orientation difference in the residual stress is mainly related to the dimension of the specimen. The stress results obtained from both the macroscopic and microscopic models showed good consistency, as depicted in Fig. 3 (c). After quenching, the average stress in the Al alloy matrix approached zero, while the average stress in the SiC reinforcement phase was approximately − 480 MPa. The distribution and contour map of microscopic stress after quenching are shown in Fig. 3 (e)-(g). Only a small number of regions exhibited high stress levels, mainly in the vicinity of the matrix around the particles, especially between closely spaced particles. When the temperature increases from room temperature (25°C) to the aging temperature of 175°C, the macroscopic stress shows little change, but the microscopic stress undergoes significant variations. The average stress in the Al matrix is approximately − 50 MPa, while the average stress in the SiC reinforcement phase is around − 240 MPa. This indicates that the temperature increase leads to an increase in compressive stress in the Al matrix, while the compressive stress in the SiC reinforcement phase decreases, and the dispersion of stress also decreases. Due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient and elastic modulus between the matrix phase and the reinforcing phase[ 12 ], when the temperature changes, the thermal expansion between the matrix phase and the reinforcing phase is different, the thermal expansion coefficient of Al alloy is several times that of SiC [ 13 ], during heating, Al expands more, resulting in mismatch phenomenon. Generally, during the heating process, the thermal expansion of the matrix is greater than that of the reinforcing phase, causing tensile stress on the matrix and compressive stress on the reinforcing phase. But this microscopic thermal mismatch stress does not cause changes in macroscopic stress. The simulation results also proved this point. The reduction of stress during the thermal aging treatment is primarily attributed to the stress relaxation at high temperatures. The stress relaxation process can be approximately described by the following quation[ 11 ]. $${\dot {\varepsilon }_c}=A{\sigma ^n}{t^m}\exp \left( { - \frac{Q}{{RT}}} \right)$$ 1 Where, A , n, m, Q , R are the material constant, σ is the stress, t is the time, and T is the relaxation temperature. In SiC/Al composites, SiC remains stable at the aging temperature without stress relaxation [ 14 ]. Therefore, stress reduction in SiC/Al composites primarily occurs due to Al matrix relaxation. After quenching, the Al matrix is subjected to low compressive stress, resulting in a lower relaxation rate during the TSR process compared to matrix Al alloy, this result is consistent with previous experimental results[ 6 ]. The effectiveness of stress relief in SiC/Al composites during the VSR process is also influenced by the microscopic stress state. Previous harmonic response analysis results indicate that during the TVSR treatment, there is higher dynamic stress in the X-direction and lower dynamic stress in the Y-direction[ 6 ]. When the stress of the Al matrix is superimposed with the dynamic stress, the stress in the X-direction increases, thereby promoting the relaxation of the Al matrix. Therefore, during the TVSR process, the relaxation rate in the X-direction is higher than that in the Y-direction. In other words, TVSR helps to eliminate residual stress in the direction with higher dynamic stress. It is expected that if two directions of vibration stress relief are adopted, TVSR will have a higher stress relief rate. 4. Conclusions After quenching, SiC/Al composites exhibit Macro residual compressive stress, while at the microscopic, the average stress in the Al matrix approaches zero, and the SiC reinforcement phase experiences significant compressive stress. Increasing the temperature from 25°C to 175°C leads to an increase in compressive stress in the Al matrix and a decrease in compressive stress in the SiC reinforcement phase. TSR, VSR, and TVSR treatments can all eliminate the residual stress in SiC/Al composites, but the stress relief effect is weaker compared to the matrix Al alloy. This is primarily due to the smaller micro residual stress in the Al matrix. When considering the von Mises stress, the order of stress relief effectiveness is TSR > TVSR (#2, #3) > VSR. The TVSR treatments shows the best stress relief effect in the X-direction, mainly because the superposition of microscopic stress in the Al matrix with dynamic stress increases the stress level in the X-direction, thereby promoting the relaxation of residual stress. This indicates that the TVSR process has great potential in eliminating residual stress in SiC/Al composite materials. Declarations Acknowledgements This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52375140), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. BLX202230). CRediT authorship contribution statement All the authors worked on the content of the paper. Bianhong Li: Resources, Writing-Original draft preparation, Investigation. Wu Ouyang: Writing-review and editing, Supervision, Project administration. Hanjun Gao: Methodology, Supervision. Shuguang Chen: Supervision, Project administration, Validation. Data Availability The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Corresponding author: Shuguang Chen, Email: [email protected] . Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to affect the work reported in this paper. References R. Sun, Z. Cao, Y. Zhang, H. Zhang, Y. Yu, Z. Che, J. Wu, S. Zou, W. Guo, Laser Shock Peening of SiCp/2009Al Composites: Microstructural Evolution, Residual Stress and Fatigue Behavior., Materials (5) (2021). Y. Hu, H. Cheng, J. Yu, Z. Yao, An experimental study on crack closure induced by laser peening in pre-cracked aluminum alloy 2024-T351 and fatigue life extension, Int. J. Fatigue. 130 (Jan.) (2020) 105231-105232. M.M. Aghdam, M. Shahbaz, Effects of Interphase Damage and Residual Stresses on Mechanical Behavior of Particle Reinforced Metal-Matrix Composites, Appl. Compos. Mater. 21 (3) (2014) 429-440, 10.1007/s10443-013-9348-1. J. Li, X. Liu, X. Yao, Y. Yuan, A micromechanical debonding analysis of fiber-reinforced composites due to curing residual stress, J. Reinf. Plast. Compos. 34 (12) (2015) 962-971, 10.1177/0731684415584952. S.G. Qu, H.S. Lou, X.Q. Li, T.R. Kuang, J.Y. Lou, Effect of Heat-treatment on Stress Relief and Dimensional Stability Behavior of SiC p /Al Composite with High SiC Content, Materials and Design. 86 (2015) 508-515. G. Zihan, Y. Zhang, H. Gao, Q. Wu, Experimental Study and Simulation Analysis of Thermal-vibratory Stress Relief Treatment of Al-Cu-Mg Alloy Plate, J. Manuf. Process. 92 (2023) 124-134. P. Agrawal, K. Conlon, K.J. Bowman, C.T. Sun, F. Jr, K.P. Trumble, Thermal residual stresses in co-continuous composites, Acta Mater. 51 (4) (2003) 1143-1156. W.U. Jing, L.I. Wen-Fang, J.L. Meng, Development of Mechanics Model of Thermal Residual Stress in Metal Matrix Composites, Materials Science and Engineering (2003). S.G. Chen, Y.D. Zhang, Q. Wu, H.J. Gao, D.Y. Yan, Residual Stress Relief for 2219 Aluminum Alloy Weldments: A Comparative Study on Three Stress Relief Methods, Metals. 9 (4) (2019) 419. X.X. Zhang, B.L. Xiao, H. Andrä, Z.Y. Ma, Multi-scale modeling of the macroscopic, elastic mismatch and thermal misfit stresses in metal matrix composite, Compos. Struct. 125 (2015) 176-187. Z. Gao, H. Gao, Y. Zhang, Q. Wu, Experiment and mechanism investigation on the effect of heat treatment on residual stress and mechanical properties of SiCp/Al–Cu–Mg composites, Materials Science and Engineering: A. 884 (2023) 145555, 10.1016/j.msea.2023.145555. Zhang Q, Wu G, Jiang L, et al. Thermal expansion and dimensional stability of Al–Si matrix composite reinforced with high content SiC[J]. Materials Chemistry and Physics, 2003, 82(3): 780-785. Yan C, Lifeng W, Jianyue R. Multi-functional SiC/Al composites for aerospace applications[J]. Chinese Journal of Aeronautics, 2008, 21(6): 578-584. A.S. Almansour, G.N. Morscher, Tensile creep behavior of SiCf/SiC ceramic matrix minicomposites, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 40 (15) (2020) 5132-5146, 10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2020.07.012. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4687014","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":331854118,"identity":"fb759215-4ebf-48c9-bb76-2a1ee14521eb","order_by":0,"name":"Bianhong Li","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Beijing Forestry University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Bianhong","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""},{"id":331854119,"identity":"0d3299c8-415c-48d8-a40d-76a50554738b","order_by":1,"name":"Wu Ouyang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Beijing Forestry University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Wu","middleName":"","lastName":"Ouyang","suffix":""},{"id":331854120,"identity":"ac6b9667-f628-42fd-9afd-5012ff26bd38","order_by":2,"name":"Shuguang Chen","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA0klEQVRIie2OvwrCMBCHrxzUxdo1IugrxEUHpc8iBPQNnJ0yVVwrjr6EY0rW0qwBHerSWTcdBKMIbiZugvng/nDcBz8Aj+c3CU2N8b07KlOj4HeKBHelt9rW1XmnGlQpAae5hHiz+KxQXQ/762KPVDMIslICOQiLQoqwE/GHgoARl+YysQTLjHLjJVIlAW8uCqg07ARcIBUMMHBRqA4H7SVn2NaM5mk5axJtC7aSNbnyhLVUfqwu81E3zmzBXjHYowlTTcu/IRbPkdg/PR6P52+5A8swQQIDkb4BAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Jiangsu University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Shuguang","middleName":"","lastName":"Chen","suffix":""},{"id":331854121,"identity":"0341615c-98d0-4d66-b5da-75dffc3c1515","order_by":3,"name":"Hanjun Gao","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Beihang University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Hanjun","middleName":"","lastName":"Gao","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-07-04 13:47:20","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4687014/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4687014/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":61408199,"identity":"f8938b31-662f-4667-a7e4-b89a7525c107","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-07-30 11:29:03","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":731766,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003ea) SiC/Al composite specimen; (b) Detailed stress relief treatment parameters; (c) experimental equipment of TVSR; (d) working principle diagram of TVSR; (e) FE simulation model; (f) first-order modal deformation; and (g) second-order modal deformation.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4687014/v1/514c3f69faeff8d4f8a784b4.png"},{"id":61406867,"identity":"0aebc26c-aacf-45ed-8929-dcbbd1a7850f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-07-30 11:13:03","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":463440,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eThe results of residual stress in the SiC/Al composites before and after stress relief treatments: (a) X-direction, (b) Y-direction, (c) Mises stress, (d) stress relief rate.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4687014/v1/8c09e6efe4a6b8454a096ac6.png"},{"id":61407432,"identity":"4a1c57c2-ef8f-4ca6-9736-d467664885eb","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-07-30 11:21:03","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":1158217,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e(a) Macro-micro FE model; (b) Macroscopic residual stress after quenching; (c) microscopic average residual stress after quenching; (d) microscopic average residual stress at 175 °C; (e) micro residual stress distribution of Al matrix; (f) micro residual stress distribution of SiC inclusion, and (g) contour of microscopic residual stress under different conditions.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4687014/v1/3c8eb947829bf3dc4409d210.png"},{"id":61577266,"identity":"e70edb25-cca5-4a1c-aea1-a06304ec4a08","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-08-01 12:37:18","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":3032225,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4687014/v1/af4c8148-fcbc-4a9b-99cc-974b134247f8.pdf"},{"id":61406866,"identity":"285b1fc4-d848-461e-ae68-bda3a958d7b5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-07-30 11:13:03","extension":"docx","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":31569,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Highlight.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4687014/v1/619224f493a913751cc54360.docx"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Investigating the Effects and Mechanisms of Thermal Vibration Coupled Stress Relief Treatment on Residual Stress in SiC/Al Composites","fulltext":[{"header":"1. Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe preparation process of particle-reinforced aluminum matrix composites often generates significant residual stress that is difficult to eliminate.Residual stress is a double-edged sword, and the residual compressive stress after shot peening helps to improve the fatigue life of materials [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e], however, most residual stresses can pose a threat to the material. An unreasonable residual stress distribution generated during the preparation process can potentially reduce the material's mechanical properties [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e], inflict damage[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e], decrease fatigue life, and impair dimensional stability [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e]. Currently, the stress relief process for Al alloy is relatively mature[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e]. However, there is still relatively limited research on the elimination of residual stress in PRAMCs.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe incorporation of SiC particles into the Al alloy alters the evolution of residual stress during heat treatment [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e] Previous research has primarily focused on the effects of material preparation and heat treatment on the mechanical properties and microstructure of PRAMCs, with fewer studies addressing residual stresses within these composites. Therefore, This study aims to investigate the residual stress relief of SiC/Al composites based on the stress relief process of Al alloy and applying TSR, VSR, and TVSR treatments to SiC/Al composites fabricated via PM. The objective is to explore the residual stress regulation effect and the applicability of these treatments on PRAMCs, providing valuable guidance for residual stress regulation methods in PRAMCs.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2. Experimental procedures","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.1 Specimen and experiment process\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study utilized 20 vol.% SiC/Al-Cu-Mg composite plates prepared via the powder metallurgy (PM) process, with particles averaged size of 5 \u0026micro;m and the dimensions of the materials are provided in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e(a). Based on previous research [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e], the specimens underwent a heat treatment at 490\u0026deg;C for 60 min for solid solution treatment, followed by quenching in water at room temperature. This process represented the initial state of the specimens without any stress relief procedure and was labeled as process #0. Subsequent specimens underwent varying stress relief treatment, as depicted in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e(b).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.2 TVSR equipment and flow\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eTVSR is a method that combines VSR and TSR[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e]. This technique involves applying a suitable vibratory load to the workpiece at a specific temperature to effectively eliminate stresses via the combined influence of thermal and mechanical loads. The TVSR equipment utilized in this study was developed by Beihang university, depicted in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e(c), and its operating principles are illustrated in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e(d).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe vibration system\u0026rsquo;s operational frequency and specimen positioning on the vibration platform were determined through ANSYS modal analysis. The FE simulation model, as shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e(e) shows the first-order modal frequency was 60.03 Hz, indicating a bending-type vibration mode. However, the second-order modal frequency exceeded the operational speed range of the exciter, as shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e(g). Additionally, the first modal frequency of the vibration platform, measured using the hammer modal method, was 60.8 Hz, consistent with the simulation results. Therefore, the speed of the exciter was set to 3600 rpm. The installation position of the sample is depicted in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e(f). Previous studies have shown that TSR and TVSR at 175\u0026deg;C can effectively eliminate residual stresses in 2XXX series Al alloys [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e]. Therefore, this study selected an experimental temperature of 175\u0026deg;C.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"3. Results and disscussion","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.1 Redisual stress results of SiC/Al composites\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eFigure\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e illustrates the results of the stress relief treatment on SiC/Al composite material. After quenching, the SiC/Al composite exhibits substantial compressive stress on the surface, with higher stress observed in the Y-direction compared to the X-direction. The application of TSR, VSR, and TVSR treatments effectively reduces the stress. However, it is noted that the stress reduction in SiC/Al is significantly lower than that in 2024Al[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e]. In terms of directional stress, the TVSR process demonstrates a remarkable reduction in stress in the X-direction compared to the Y-direction, while the differences between TSR and VSR processes in directional stress reduction are less pronounced. When considering the von Mises stress, the effectiveness of stress reduction is observed as TSR\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;TVSR (#2, #3)\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;VSR.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt can be explained in this way, the shape of the sample can lead to differences in the direction of TSR stress relief. For the TVSR process, the first-order modal frequency of the vibration platform is used, and the vibration mode at this modal frequency is a first-order bending vibration mode. The dynamic stress in the X direction is more obvious, so the residual stress in the dynamic stress coupling makes the stress in the X direction greater. Therefore, the residual stress in this direction is more easily relaxed, as confirmed by previous research [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.2 Stress evolution mechanism\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA Macro-micro FE model was developed to analyze the quenching process of 20 vol.% SiC/Al composites, as shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e(a). The model was divided into macroscopic and microscopic levels. The macroscopic model simulated the macro residual stresses generated during quenching from 490\u0026deg;C to 25\u0026deg;C, while the microscopic model calculated the microscopic stresses during quenching. The properties for SiC and Al alloy were referenced from the reference [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e], while the properties for SiC/Al composites were obtained through homogenization method [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe surface of the specimen exhibited compressive stress, while the core region experienced tensile stress, as shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e(b). The stress state at the surface center of the specimen was \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;112 MPa in the X-direction and \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;125 MPa in the Y-direction. The FE simulation results also indicated that the residual stress in the Y direction was relatively large, which is consistent with the results in the literature [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e]. The orientation difference in the residual stress is mainly related to the dimension of the specimen. The stress results obtained from both the macroscopic and microscopic models showed good consistency, as depicted in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e(c). After quenching, the average stress in the Al alloy matrix approached zero, while the average stress in the SiC reinforcement phase was approximately \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;480 MPa. The distribution and contour map of microscopic stress after quenching are shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e(e)-(g). Only a small number of regions exhibited high stress levels, mainly in the vicinity of the matrix around the particles, especially between closely spaced particles.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhen the temperature increases from room temperature (25\u0026deg;C) to the aging temperature of 175\u0026deg;C, the macroscopic stress shows little change, but the microscopic stress undergoes significant variations. The average stress in the Al matrix is approximately \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;50 MPa, while the average stress in the SiC reinforcement phase is around \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;240 MPa. This indicates that the temperature increase leads to an increase in compressive stress in the Al matrix, while the compressive stress in the SiC reinforcement phase decreases, and the dispersion of stress also decreases. Due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient and elastic modulus between the matrix phase and the reinforcing phase[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e], when the temperature changes, the thermal expansion between the matrix phase and the reinforcing phase is different, the thermal expansion coefficient of Al alloy is several times that of SiC [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e], during heating, Al expands more, resulting in mismatch phenomenon. Generally, during the heating process, the thermal expansion of the matrix is greater than that of the reinforcing phase, causing tensile stress on the matrix and compressive stress on the reinforcing phase. But this microscopic thermal mismatch stress does not cause changes in macroscopic stress. The simulation results also proved this point.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe reduction of stress during the thermal aging treatment is primarily attributed to the stress relaxation at high temperatures. The stress relaxation process can be approximately described by the following quation[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e].\u003cdiv id=\"Equ1\" class=\"Equation\"\u003e\u003cdiv format=\"TEX\" class=\"mathdisplay\" id=\"FileID_Equ1\" name=\"EquationSource\"\u003e\n$${\\dot {\\varepsilon }_c}=A{\\sigma ^n}{t^m}\\exp \\left( { - \\frac{Q}{{RT}}} \\right)$$\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"EquationNumber\"\u003e1\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhere, \u003cem\u003eA\u003c/em\u003e, n, m, \u003cem\u003eQ\u003c/em\u003e, R are the material constant, \u003cem\u003eσ\u003c/em\u003e is the stress, \u003cem\u003et\u003c/em\u003e is the time, and \u003cem\u003eT\u003c/em\u003e is the relaxation temperature.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn SiC/Al composites, SiC remains stable at the aging temperature without stress relaxation [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e]. Therefore, stress reduction in SiC/Al composites primarily occurs due to Al matrix relaxation. After quenching, the Al matrix is subjected to low compressive stress, resulting in a lower relaxation rate during the TSR process compared to matrix Al alloy, this result is consistent with previous experimental results[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e]. The effectiveness of stress relief in SiC/Al composites during the VSR process is also influenced by the microscopic stress state. Previous harmonic response analysis results indicate that during the TVSR treatment, there is higher dynamic stress in the X-direction and lower dynamic stress in the Y-direction[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e]. When the stress of the Al matrix is superimposed with the dynamic stress, the stress in the X-direction increases, thereby promoting the relaxation of the Al matrix. Therefore, during the TVSR process, the relaxation rate in the X-direction is higher than that in the Y-direction. In other words, TVSR helps to eliminate residual stress in the direction with higher dynamic stress. It is expected that if two directions of vibration stress relief are adopted, TVSR will have a higher stress relief rate.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"4. Conclusions","content":"\u003cp\u003e \u003col\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eAfter quenching, SiC/Al composites exhibit Macro residual compressive stress, while at the microscopic, the average stress in the Al matrix approaches zero, and the SiC reinforcement phase experiences significant compressive stress. Increasing the temperature from 25\u0026deg;C to 175\u0026deg;C leads to an increase in compressive stress in the Al matrix and a decrease in compressive stress in the SiC reinforcement phase.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eTSR, VSR, and TVSR treatments can all eliminate the residual stress in SiC/Al composites, but the stress relief effect is weaker compared to the matrix Al alloy. This is primarily due to the smaller micro residual stress in the Al matrix. When considering the von Mises stress, the order of stress relief effectiveness is TSR\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;TVSR (#2, #3)\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;VSR.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe TVSR treatments shows the best stress relief effect in the X-direction, mainly because the superposition of microscopic stress in the Al matrix with dynamic stress increases the stress level in the X-direction, thereby promoting the relaxation of residual stress. This indicates that the TVSR process has great potential in eliminating residual stress in SiC/Al composite materials.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003c/ol\u003e \u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003eAcknowledgements\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52375140), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. BLX202230).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCRediT authorship contribution statement\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll the authors worked on the content of the paper. \u003cstrong\u003eBianhong Li:\u003c/strong\u003e Resources, Writing-Original draft preparation, Investigation. \u003cstrong\u003eWu Ouyang:\u003c/strong\u003e Writing-review and editing, Supervision, Project administration. \u003cstrong\u003eHanjun Gao:\u003c/strong\u003e Methodology, Supervision. \u003cstrong\u003eShuguang Chen:\u003c/strong\u003e Supervision, Project administration, Validation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eData Availability\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe datasets used and/or analysed during the current study available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Corresponding author: Shuguang Chen, Email: [email protected].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeclaration of Competing Interest\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to affect the work reported in this paper.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eR. Sun, Z. Cao, Y. Zhang, H. Zhang, Y. Yu, Z. Che, J. Wu, S. Zou, W. Guo, Laser Shock Peening of SiCp/2009Al Composites: Microstructural Evolution, Residual Stress and Fatigue Behavior., Materials (5) (2021).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eY. Hu, H. Cheng, J. Yu, Z. Yao, An experimental study on crack closure induced by laser peening in pre-cracked aluminum alloy 2024-T351 and fatigue life extension, Int. J. Fatigue. 130 (Jan.) (2020) 105231-105232.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eM.M. Aghdam, M. Shahbaz, Effects of Interphase Damage and Residual Stresses on Mechanical Behavior of Particle Reinforced Metal-Matrix Composites, Appl. Compos. Mater. 21 (3) (2014) 429-440, 10.1007/s10443-013-9348-1.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJ. Li, X. Liu, X. Yao, Y. Yuan, A micromechanical debonding analysis of fiber-reinforced composites due to curing residual stress, J. Reinf. Plast. Compos. 34 (12) (2015) 962-971, 10.1177/0731684415584952.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eS.G. Qu, H.S. Lou, X.Q. Li, T.R. Kuang, J.Y. Lou, Effect of Heat-treatment on Stress Relief and Dimensional Stability Behavior of SiC\u003csub\u003ep\u003c/sub\u003e/Al Composite with High SiC Content, Materials and Design. 86 (2015) 508-515.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eG. Zihan, Y. Zhang, H. Gao, Q. Wu, Experimental Study and Simulation Analysis of Thermal-vibratory Stress Relief Treatment of Al-Cu-Mg Alloy Plate, J. Manuf. Process. 92 (2023) 124-134.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eP. Agrawal, K. Conlon, K.J. Bowman, C.T. Sun, F. Jr, K.P. Trumble, Thermal residual stresses in co-continuous composites, Acta Mater. 51 (4) (2003) 1143-1156.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eW.U. Jing, L.I. Wen-Fang, J.L. Meng, Development of Mechanics Model of Thermal Residual Stress in Metal Matrix Composites, Materials Science and Engineering (2003).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eS.G. Chen, Y.D. Zhang, Q. Wu, H.J. Gao, D.Y. Yan, Residual Stress Relief for 2219 Aluminum Alloy Weldments: A Comparative Study on Three Stress Relief Methods, Metals. 9 (4) (2019) 419.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eX.X. Zhang, B.L. Xiao, H. Andr\u0026auml;, Z.Y. Ma, Multi-scale modeling of the macroscopic, elastic mismatch and thermal misfit stresses in metal matrix composite, Compos. Struct. 125 (2015) 176-187.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eZ. Gao, H. Gao, Y. Zhang, Q. Wu, Experiment and mechanism investigation on the effect of heat treatment on residual stress and mechanical properties of SiCp/Al\u0026ndash;Cu\u0026ndash;Mg composites, Materials Science and Engineering: A. 884 (2023) 145555, 10.1016/j.msea.2023.145555.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eZhang Q, Wu G, Jiang L, et al. Thermal expansion and dimensional stability of Al\u0026ndash;Si matrix composite reinforced with high content SiC[J]. Materials Chemistry and Physics, 2003, 82(3): 780-785.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYan C, Lifeng W, Jianyue R. Multi-functional SiC/Al composites for aerospace applications[J]. Chinese Journal of Aeronautics, 2008, 21(6): 578-584.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA.S. Almansour, G.N. Morscher, Tensile creep behavior of SiCf/SiC ceramic matrix minicomposites, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 40 (15) (2020) 5132-5146, 10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2020.07.012.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Thermal vibration coupled stress relief, Macro-micro stress, Metallic composites, Residual stress, Simulation and modelling","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4687014/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4687014/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eParticle-reinforced aluminum matrix composites (PRAMCs) often exhibit significant residual stresses after quenching, which can detrimentally impact fatigue life and dimensional stability. Conventional stress relief treatments for aluminum alloys only partially alleviate these residual stresses. In this study, thermal stress relief (TSR), vibratory stress relief (VSR), and thermal-vibratory coupled stress relief (TVSR) treatments were investigated to relieve quenching residual stresses in SiC/Al composites. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of all three treatments in reducing residual stresses, with the greatest stress relief observed in the direction of maximum dynamic stress. Moreover, micro residual stresses obtained from the Macro-micro residual stress finite element (FE) model were analyzed to discuss the variations in stress relief effects. Further optimization of the TVSR process holds promise for effectively mitigating residual stresses in SiC/Al composits.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Investigating the Effects and Mechanisms of Thermal Vibration Coupled Stress Relief Treatment on Residual Stress in SiC/Al Composites","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-07-30 11:12:58","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4687014/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"cc95cbfa-fe67-4a78-925e-3f1044501701","owner":[],"postedDate":"July 30th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-08-01T12:29:10+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-07-30 11:12:58","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4687014","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4687014","identity":"rs-4687014","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}