Micromechanical Characterization of Metal-Matrix Composites

The objective of this project is to determine stress and strain distributions over length scales of less than a micron through the development of novel experimental and computational techniques. These techniques will be applied to determine the micromechanical response at fiber/matrix interface of high performance metal matrix composites. The microscopic response of the fiber/matrix interface is believed to affect a wide range of mechanical properties of composites at the extreme conditions of high stress, temperature and cyclic loading. A key facet of the project is the provision of research opportunities for minority students majoring in engineering at Florida A&M University.