TY - JOUR
T1 - Finite element modeling and experimental validation of fatigue life for SiC-reinforced Al-6061 composites under three-point bending
AU - Baig, Mirza Muhammad Abu Bakar
AU - Wang, Yangwei
AU - Li, Guoju
AU - Jamal, Saeed
AU - Bhatti, Tahir Mehmood
AU - Shehzadi, Fatima
AU - Fangzhou, Zhang
AU - Anas, Muhammad
AU - Jamal, Muhammad Arshad
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2026 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2026/4/10
Y1 - 2026/4/10
N2 - The fatigue performance of metal matrix composites (MMCs) is critical in applications that demand high strength and durability when subjected to cyclic loading. This work established a technique for predicting fatigue life in Al-6061/SiCp composites through the integration of finite element analysis (FEA) using ABAQUS with FE-SAFE fatigue module. Three-point bending fatigue tests were conducted on composites reinforced with 20 vol% and 30 vol% SiC to confirm the accuracy of the life prediction method. Fatigue experiments were performed under load control at a frequency of 15 Hz, utilizing sinusoidal loading that varied between 1950 N and 1550 N. The results designate that the fatigue performance is suggestively affected by the SiC volume fraction. The 20 vol% SiCp/Al composite showed improved fatigue life ranging from 509 to 26,590 cycles. In contrast 30 vol% SiCp/Al composite showed a fatigue life ranging from 606 to 16,364 cycles under cyclic load varying from 1950 N to 1550 N. FE-SAFE predictions applying the strain-life methodology and Morrow's correction demonstrated a close alignment with experimental results, within a factor of two. This numerical-experimental approach provides a reliable technique for prediction the fatigue life of Al-6061/SiC composites, improving the capacity to design more robust and fatigue life materials for structural applications that require continual performance under cyclic loading.
AB - The fatigue performance of metal matrix composites (MMCs) is critical in applications that demand high strength and durability when subjected to cyclic loading. This work established a technique for predicting fatigue life in Al-6061/SiCp composites through the integration of finite element analysis (FEA) using ABAQUS with FE-SAFE fatigue module. Three-point bending fatigue tests were conducted on composites reinforced with 20 vol% and 30 vol% SiC to confirm the accuracy of the life prediction method. Fatigue experiments were performed under load control at a frequency of 15 Hz, utilizing sinusoidal loading that varied between 1950 N and 1550 N. The results designate that the fatigue performance is suggestively affected by the SiC volume fraction. The 20 vol% SiCp/Al composite showed improved fatigue life ranging from 509 to 26,590 cycles. In contrast 30 vol% SiCp/Al composite showed a fatigue life ranging from 606 to 16,364 cycles under cyclic load varying from 1950 N to 1550 N. FE-SAFE predictions applying the strain-life methodology and Morrow's correction demonstrated a close alignment with experimental results, within a factor of two. This numerical-experimental approach provides a reliable technique for prediction the fatigue life of Al-6061/SiC composites, improving the capacity to design more robust and fatigue life materials for structural applications that require continual performance under cyclic loading.
KW - Cyclic tension-compression test
KW - FE-SAFE model
KW - Fatigue life prediction
KW - Finite element modeling
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105034465415
U2 - 10.1016/j.jallcom.2026.187422
DO - 10.1016/j.jallcom.2026.187422
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105034465415
SN - 0925-8388
VL - 1062
JO - Journal of Alloys and Compounds
JF - Journal of Alloys and Compounds
M1 - 187422
ER -