Investigating the Impact of Particle Morphology on the Compressive Behaviors of Ti₃AlC₂/Al MAX Phase Composites for Lightweight Structural Applications

The morphology of reinforced particles plays a crucial role in the mechanical behavior of metal-matrix composites (MMCs). This study proposes a novel finite element methodology to investigate the influence of various particle morphologies, including spherical, cubic, hexagonal, and hybrid configurations, on the compressive behavior of Ti3AlC2/Al composites. A 3D representative volume element model, incorporating an elastoplastic constitutive relation and ductile fracture criterion, was utilized to simulate elastoplastic deformation and matrix cracking. The cohesive zone method (CZM) proved effective in capturing particle-matrix interface debonding. The findings revealed that hexagonal particles exhibited the highest failure strain (0.20), demonstrating superior ductility and delayed crack propagation under compressive loading. The hexagonal-spherical hybrid configuration improved compressive yield strength by 12% (183.38 MPa) and ultimate compressive strength by 18% (284.3 MPa), when compared to single-particle morphologies. In contrast, cubic particles, while exhibiting the highest elastic modulus (123.23 GPa), were observed to accelerate crack initiation due to stress concentration at sharp edges, thereby reducing overall ductility. Additionally, the hybrid configurations (hexagonal-spherical, cubic-hexagonal, and cubic-spherical) increased the load-bearing capacity by 15%, thereby delaying the progression of failure. The proposed 3D methodology exhibited 25% greater accuracy in predicting crack propagation than traditional 2D models.