Resistance to crack propagation in an aluminum-alloy-steel-wire composite

1. A method was developed for determining the critical length of stable crack growth in evaluating the crack propagation resistance of a composite material based on an aluminum alloy of the Al−Zn−Mg system reinforced with wire made of stainless steel EP322. 2. We experimentally determined for the above composite the stress intensity factor Kc at the tip of a propagating crack in a state of plane stress. It was shown that Kc=207–240 kgf/mm2 for such a composite with a 14% vol. fraction of wire.