The compression creep deformation of an Al18B4O33 whisker-reinforced Al-Fe-
V-Si (8009 Al alloy) composite has been investigated in the temperatures ra
nge from 573 to 723 K. The addition of 15 vol.% Al18B4O33 whiskers to the 8
009 alloy decreases the creep rate by two orders of magnitude compared to t
he 8009 alloy. The stress and temperature dependence of the creep rate of t
he composite is similar to that of the 8009 alloy. The threshold stress for
creep was used to analyze the experimental data for the composite. The cre
ep rates of the composite are shown to be controlled by lattice diffusion o
f aluminum. The contribution of the whiskers on creep rate of the composite
is interpreted by a modified load-transfer model. (C) 1999 Elsevier Scienc
e S.A. All rights reserved.