Numerical Analysis and Experimental Studies on the Residual Stress of W/2024Al Composites

Abstract

W/2024Al composites can be used for radiation shielding with desirable mechanical properties such as high strength, excellent corrosion resistance, and low density. The quench-induced residual stresses in W/2024Al composites were studied by experimental measurements and numerical analysis using ABAQUS software. Due to the accurate calculation of heat transfer coefficients and the established constitutive equation for description of the variation of yield stress at elevated temperature with different strain rates, the prediction of residual stresses in as-quenched composite blocks achieved by finite element method (FEM) is reliable. Moreover, X-ray diffraction and crack-compliance method were carried out to measure the stresses that developed at the surface and interior of the composites to validate the simulation results. Quenching residual stresses of composite blocks were investigated by taking the influence of quenching medium temperature into consideration. In addition, a comparative study on residual stress magnitudes of as-quenched 2024Al and W/2024Al composites was conducted, and the results show that stress magnitudes of W/2024Al composites are lower than that of 2024Al due to lower thermal gradients during the quenching process.