Comparison of Fatigue Life Between C/SiC and SiC/SiC Ceramic-Matrix Composites at Room and Elevated Temperatures

In this paper, the comparison of fatigue life between C/SiC and SiC/SiC ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs) at room and elevated temperatures has been investigated. An effective coefficient of the fiber volume fraction along the loading direction (ECFL) was introduced to describe the fiber architecture of preforms. Under cyclic fatigue loading, the fibers broken fraction was determined by combining the interface wear model and fibers statistical failure model at room temperature, and interface/fibers oxidation model, interface wear model and fibers statistical failure model at elevated temperatures in the oxidative environments. When the broken fibers fraction approaches to the critical value, the composites fatigue fracture. The fatigue life S–N curves and fatigue limits of cross-ply, 2D and 3D C/SiC and SiC/SiC composites at room temperature, 550 °C in air, 750 °C in dry and humid condition, 800 °C in air, 1000 °C in argon and air, 1100 °C, 1300 °C and 1500 °C in vacuum, have been predicted. At room temperature, the fatigue limit of 2D C/SiC composite with ECFL of 20 % lies between 0.78 and 0.8 tensile strength; and the fatigue limit of 2D SiC/SiC composite with ECFL of 20 % lies between 0.75 and 0.85 tensile strength. The fatigue limit of 2D C/SiC composite increases to 0.83 tensile strength with ECFL increasing from 20 to 22.5 %, and the fatigue limit of 3D C/SiC composite is 0.85 tensile strength with ECFL of 37 %. The fatigue performance of 2D SiC/SiC composite is better than that of 2D C/SiC composite at elevated temperatures in oxidative environment.     

Verification and prediction of residual strength of C/SiC composites under non-stress oxidation

This article describes the strength behavior of C/SiC composites under non-stress oxidation. The oxidation kinetics model of a ceramic matrix composite contains both a reaction-controlled process and a diffusion-controlled process. The oxidation process has an effect on the fiber volume fraction, radius, and the composite interface shear stress. We obtained the residual strength of unidirectional C/SiC composites under 400–900 °C oxidation with non-stress environments by combining the mass loss rate model with the strength failure model at room temperature. This model considers the different components of the system to be subject to oxidation at different temperature ranges. Then, the influence of oxidation temperature, oxidation time, and fiber volume fraction on residual strength was studied. Experiments on C/SiC composites at 650 and 800 °C in an air environment with non-stress conditions were then performed, and the theoretical results of C/SiC composites were in good agreement with the experimental data.     

BN/SiC复合界面层对SiC纤维和PIP-Mini复合材料力学性能的影响

采用化学气相渗透(CVI)工艺,在SiC纤维表面沉积BN和BN/SiC复合界面层,对沉积界面层前后纤维的力学性能进行了评价。采用聚合物浸渍裂解(PIP)工艺进行致密化,制得以原纤维、BN界面层和BN/SiC界面层纤维增强的三种Mini-SiCf/SiC复合材料,研究其微观结构和拉伸性能。结果表明:采用CVI工艺制得的界面层厚度均匀、结构致密,其中BN界面层中存在六方相,晶体尺寸为1.76 nm; SiC界面层结晶性较好,晶粒尺寸为18.73 nm;沉积界面层后SiC纤维的弹性模量基本保持不变,拉伸强度降低。与SiCf/SiC相比, PIP工艺制备的SiCf/BN/SiC和SiCf/(BN/SiC)/SiC-Mini复合材料所能承受的最大拉伸载荷和断裂应变明显提升, BN界面层起主要作用。由断面形貌分析可以看出, SiCf/BN/SiC和SiCf/(BN/SiC)/SiC复合材料的纤维拔出明显,说明在断裂时消耗的能量增加,可承受的最大载荷增大。     

New route to process uni-directional carbon fiber reinforced (SiC?+?ZrB2) matrix mini-composites

Unidirectional carbon fiber-reinforced (SiC + ZrB₂) matrix mini-composites were prepared by soft solution route. In this process, the matrix materials were prepared using water-soluble precursors of colloidal silica, sucrose, zirconium oxychloride, and boric acid as sources of silica, carbon, zirconia, and boron oxide respectively. The room temperature mechanical properties were investigated and the fracture features of the composites were examined. Tensile strength of 269 ± 36 MPa and fracture energy of 0.38 ± 0.05 MJ/m³ for the mini-composite, carbothermally reduced at 1,600 °C were attributed to the fiber pull out. In spite of a composite failure mode, the composite carbothermally reduced at 1,700 °C exhibited lower mechanical properties. It showed that carbon fibers reacted with ZrO₂ to form ZrC phase at 1,700 °C, formed chemical bonding, and led to a strong interface between fibers and matrix, which resulted in the degradation of mechanical properties of the mini-composites. The XRD and SEM investigations of the powders and the mini-composites revealed phase formation whereas cross-sectional microstructure indicated the uniform distribution of fibers within the matrix.     

Fabrication and mechanical properties of oriented SiC short-fiber-reinforced SiC composite by tape casting

SiC fiber-reinforced SiC composites with nearly unidirectionally and randomly aligned SiC short fiber were prepared by tape-casting and hot-pressing (HP). Volume fractions of fibers were 10 and 20 vol.%. Three-point bending test was carried out at room temperature. The SiC short-fiber-reinforced SiC composites showed completely brittle fracture for any fiber volume fraction and orientation. The maximum strength increased with increasing sintering temperature regardless of orientation of short fiber. In the unidirectionally and randomly aligned composites sintered at 1700 °C containing 20 vol.% fiber, the maximum bending strength was about 390 and 280 MPa, respectively.     

Effects of Temperature,Oxidation and Fiber Preforms on Fatigue Life of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Ceramic-Matrix Composites

In this paper, the effects of temperature, oxidation and fiber preforms on the fatigue life of carbon fiber-reinforced silicon carbide ceramic-matrix composites (C/SiC CMCs) have been investigated. An effective coefficient of the fiber volume fraction along the loading direction (ECFL) was introduced to describe the fiber architecture of preforms. Under cyclic fatigue loading, the fibers broken fraction was determined by combining the interface wear model and fibers statistical failure model at room temperature, and interface/fibers oxidation model, interface wear model and fibers statistical failure model at elevated temperatures in the oxidative environments. When the broken fibers fraction approaches to the critical value, the composites fatigue fracture. The fatigue life S–N curves and fatigue limits of unidirectional, cross-ply, 2D, 2.5D and 3D C/SiC composites at room temperature, 800 °C in air, 1100, 1300 and 1500 °C in vacuum conditions have been predicted.     

Interlaminar shear strength of SiC matrix composites reinforced by continuous fibers at 900 °C in air

To reveal the shear properties of SiC matrix composites, interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of three kinds of silicon carbide matrix composites was investigated by compression of the double notched shear specimen (DNS) at 900 °C in air. The investigated composites included a woven plain carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide composite (2D-C/SiC), a two-and-a-half-dimensional carbon fiber-reinforced silicon carbide composite (2.5D-C/SiC) and a woven plain silicon carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide composite (2D-SiC/SiC). A scanning electron microscope was employed to observe the microstructure and fracture morphologies. It can be found that the fiber type and reinforcement architecture have significant impacts on the ILSS of the SiC matrix composites. Great anisotropy of ILSS can be found for 2.5D-C/SiC because of the different fracture resistance of the warp fibers. Larger ILSS can be obtained when the specimens was loaded along the weft direction. In addition, the SiC fibers could enhance the ILSS, compared with carbon fibers. The improvement is attributed to the higher oxidation resistance of SiC fibers and the similar thermal expansion coefficients between the matrix and the fibers.     

SiC<Subscript>f</Subscript>/SiC composites reinforced by randomly oriented chopped fibers prepared by semi-solid mechanical stirring method and hot pressing

SiC short fibers, with an average diameter of 13 μm, length of 300–1,000 μm and chopped from SiC continuous fibers, were surface modified by the semi-solid mechanical stirring method to produce a discrete coating of aluminum particles. Then the starting mixtures, which consist of SiC short composite fibers, aluminum powder less than 50 μm and α-SiC powder of an average diameter of 0.6 μm, were mechanically mixed in ethanol for about 3 h, dried at 80 °C in air, and hot pressed under 30 MPa pressure at 1,650, 1,750 and 1,850 °C with 1 h holding time to prepare SiC_f/SiC composites. Volume fraction of SiC short fibers in the starting powder for SiC_f/SiC composites was about 25 vol.%. The composites were characterized in terms of bulk density, phase composition, and mechanical properties at room temperature. In addition, the distribution of SiC short fibers in the matrix and the cracking pattern in the composites were examined by optical microscope. Fracture surface of the composites were performed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The effect of hot-pressing temperature on bulk density and mechanical properties was investigated. The results indicated that SiC short fibers were uniformly and randomly distributed in the matrix, bending strength and bulk density of the composites increased with increasing sintering temperature. The composite, hot-pressed at 1,850 °C, exhibited the maximum bulk density and bending strength at room temperature, about 3.01 g/cm³ and 366 MPa, respectively. SEM analyses showed that there were a few of fiber pullout on the fracture surface of samples sintered at 1,650 °C and 1,750 °C, which was mainly attributed to lower densities. But few of fiber pullout was observed on the fracture surface of sample sintered at 1,850 °C, the combined effects of high temperature and a long sintering time were considered as a source of too severe fiber degradation because of the large amount of oxygen in the fibers.     

CVD SiC fiber-reinforced barium aluminosilicate glass—ceramic matrix composites

Unidirectional CVD SiC (SCS-6) monofilament reinforced BaOAl₂O₃2SiO₂(BAS) glass—ceramic matrix composites have been fabricated by a tape lay-up method followed by hot pressing. The glass matrix flows around fibers during hot pressing resulting in nearly fully dense (95–98%) composites. Strong and tough composites having first matrix cracking stress of 250–300 MPa and ultimate flexural strength as high as 900 MPa have been obtained. Composite fracture surfaces showed fiber pullout with no chemical reaction at the fiber/matrix interface. From fiber push out, the fiber/matrix interfacial debond strength and the sliding frictional stress were determined to be 5.9 ± 1.2 MPa and 4.8 ± 0.9 MPa, respectively. The fracture surface of an uncoated SiC (SCS-0)/BAS composite also showed fiber/matrix debonding, fiber pullout, and crack deflection around the fibers implying that the SiC fibers may need no surface coating for reinforcement of the BAS glass-ceramic. Applicability of micromechanical models in predicting the first matrix cracking stress and the ultimate strength of these composites has also been examined.     

Mechanical and microstructural properties of cordierite-bonded porous SiC ceramics processed by infiltration technique using various pore formers

Cordierite-bonded porous SiC ceramics were prepared by air sintering of cordierite sol infiltrated porous powder compacts of SiC with graphite and polymer microbeads as pore-forming agents. The effect of sintering temperature, type of pore former and its morphology on microstructure, mechanical strength, phase composition, porosity and pore size distribution pattern of porous SiC ceramics were investigated. Depending on type and size of pore former, the average pore diameter, porosities and flexural strength of the final ceramics sintered at 1400 °C varied in the range of ~ 7.6 to 10.1 µm, 34–49 vol% and 34–15 MPa, respectively. The strength–porosity relationship was explained by the minimum solid area (MSA) model. After mechanical stress was applied to the porous SiC ceramics, microstructures of fracture surface appeared without affecting dense struts of thickness ~ 2 to 10 µm showing restriction in crack propagation through interfacial zone of SiC particles. The effect of corrosion on oxide bond phases was investigated in strong acid and basic salt medium at 90 °C. The residual mechanical strength, SEM micrographs and EDX analyses were conducted on the corroded samples and explained the corrosion mechanisms.     

Modeling Loading/Unloading Hysteresis Behavior of Unidirectional C/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites

The loading/unloading tensile behavior of unidirectional C/SiC ceramic matrix composites at room temperature has been investigated. The loading/unloading stress–strain curve exhibits obvious hysteresis behavior. An approach to model the hysteresis loops of ceramic matrix composites including the effect of fiber failure during tensile loading has been developed. By adopting a shear-lag model which includes the matrix shear deformation in the bonded region and friction in the debonded region, the matrix cracking space and interface debonded length are obtained by matrix statistical cracking model and fracture mechanics interface debonded criterion. The two-parameter Weibull model is used to describe the fiber strength distribution. The stress carried by the intact and fracture fibers on the matrix crack plane during unloading and subsequent reloading is determined by the Global Load Sharing criterion. Based on the damage mechanisms of fiber sliding relative to matrix during unloading and subsequent reloading, the unloading interface reverse slip length and reloading interface new slip length are obtained by the fracture mechanics approach. The hysteresis loops of unidirectional C/SiC ceramic matrix composites corresponding to different stress have been predicted.     

Synergistic Effects of Temperature,Oxidation and Multicracking Modes on Damage Evolution and Life Prediction of 2D Woven Ceramic-Matrix Composites under Tension-Tension Fatigue Loading

In this paper, the synergistic effects of temperature, oxidation and multicracking modes on damage evolution and life prediction in 2D woven ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs) have been investigated. The damage parameter of fatigue hysteresis dissipated energy and the interface shear stress were used to monitor the damage evolution inside of CMCs. Under cyclic fatigue loading, the fibers broken fraction was determined by combining the interface/fiber oxidation model, interface wear model and fibers statistical failure model at elevated temperature, based on the assumption that the fiber strength is subjected to two-parameter Weibull distribution and the load carried by broken and intact fibers satisfy the Global Load Sharing (GLS) criterion. When the broken fibers fraction approaches to the critical value, the composite fatigue fractures. The evolution of fatigue hysteresis dissipated energy, the interface shear stress and broken fibers fraction versus cycle number, and the fatigue life S–N curves of SiC/SiC at 1000, 1200 and 1300 °C in air and steam condition have been predicted. The synergistic effects of temperature, oxidation, fatigue peak stress, and multicracking modes on the evolution of interface shear stress and fatigue hysteresis dissipated energy versus cycle numbers curves have been analyzed.     

Analysis of Residual Performance of UD-CMC in Oxidation Atmosphere Based on a Notch-like Oxidation Model

Experimental observation indicates unidirectional ceramic matrix composites (UD-CMC) will react with oxygen under high-temperature atmosphere inhomogeneous. As a result of the oxidation on fiber surface, fiber shows a notch-like morphology. Stress concentration near by the fiber notch causes a decline of the mechanic performance of UD-CMC. In this paper, the change rule of fiber notch depth is fitted by circular function. Based on this formula the residual strength and modulus of UD-CMC under 400–900 °C atmosphere are derived. The mechanical performance of unidirectional C/SiC composite is simulated by finite element method. The stress distribution of fiber, matrix and interface are obtained. The residual properties of unidirectional C/SiC composite are predicted by theoretical method and finite element method. And the predicting results are compared with the experiment data. The predicting results show a good accordance with experiment data, which means the notch-like oxidation model can analyze the mechanic performance of UD-CMC efficiently.     

平纹编织SiC/SiC复合材料多尺度建模及强度预测

连续SiC纤维增强SiC基体复合材料（SiC/SiC）具有优异的高温力学性能、辐照稳定性及较低的氚渗透率,在核工程结构领域具有良好的应用前景,掌握其承载状态下的损伤演化和强度性能,对SiC/SiC复合材料的应用具有重要指导意义。本文基于平纹编织SiC/SiC复合材料的制备过程和组分材料分布的多尺度特性,考虑复合材料微观结构的局部近似周期性,建立了纤维丝尺度和纤维束尺度单胞模型。使用有限元分析软件对纤维丝尺度模型的弹性性能和强度性能进行预测,将这些性能参数代入纤维束尺度模型,引入Tsai-Wu失效准则,根据材料的不同失效模式并对失效单元进行方向性刚度折减,模拟了平纹编织SiC/SiC复合材料在单轴拉伸载荷下的渐进损伤过程。数值模拟曲线与试验曲线吻合较好,实现了对平纹编织SiC/SiC复合材料强度的有效预测。      

Synergistic Effects of Temperature and Oxidation on Matrix Cracking in Fiber-Reinforced Ceramic-Matrix Composites

In this paper, the synergistic effects of temperatrue and oxidation on matrix cracking in fiber-reinforced ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs) has been investigated using energy balance approach. The shear-lag model cooperated with damage models, i.e., the interface oxidation model, interface debonding model, fiber strength degradation model and fiber failure model, has been adopted to analyze microstress field in the composite. The relationships between matrix cracking stress, interface debonding and slipping, fiber fracture, oxidation temperatures and time have been established. The effects of fiber volume fraction, interface properties, fiber strength and oxidation temperatures on the evolution of matrix cracking stress versus oxidation time have been analyzed. The matrix cracking stresses of C/SiC composite with strong and weak interface bonding after unstressed oxidation at an elevated temperature of 700 °C in air condition have been predicted for different oxidation time.     

Modeling the Tensile Strength of Carbon Fiber − Reinforced Ceramic − Matrix Composites Under Multiple Fatigue Loading

An analytical method has been developed to investigate the effect of interface wear on the tensile strength of carbon fiber ? reinforced ceramic ? matrix composites (CMCs) under multiple fatigue loading. The Budiansky ? Hutchinson ? Evans shear ? lag model was used to describe the micro stress field of the damaged composite considering fibers failure and the difference existed in the new and original interface debonded region. The statistical matrix multicracking model and fracture mechanics interface debonding criterion were used to determine the matrix crack spacing and interface debonded length. The interface shear stress degradation model and fibers strength degradation model have been adopted to analyze the interface wear effect on the tensile strength of the composite subjected to multiple fatigue loading. Under tensile loading, the fibers failure probabilities were determined by combining the interface wear model and fibers failure model based on the assumption that the fiber strength is subjected to two ? parameter Weibull distribution and the loads carried by broken and intact fibers satisfy the Global Load Sharing criterion. The composite can no longer support the applied load when the total loads supported by broken and intact fibers approach its maximum value. The conditions of a single matrix crack and matrix multicrackings for tensile strength corresponding to multiple fatigue peak stress levels and different cycle number have been analyzed.     

Effect of chopped Si–Al–C fiber addition on the mechanical properties of silicon carbide composite

Silicon carbide (SiC) composites containing 0–50 mass% of chopped Tyranno^® Si–Al–C (SA) fiber (mean length: 214 μm (SA(214)), 394 μm (SA(394)), and 706 μm (SA(706)) were fabricated using the hot-pressing technique at 1800 °C for 30 min under a uniaxial pressure of 31 MPa in Ar atmosphere. The maximum flexural strength of the SiC composite was 344 MPa for 30 mass% of SA(706) fiber addition, whilst the maximum fracture toughness was 4.7 MPa m^1/2 for 40 mass% of SA(706) fiber addition. Increasing the mean fiber length from 214 to 706 μm decreased the flexural strength from 380 to 281 MPa for 30 mass% of fiber addition, whilst the fracture toughness increased from 3.4 to 4.7 MPa m^1/2 for 40 mass% of fiber addition. Through use of a treated SA(706) fiber containing an approximately 100 nm surface layer of carbon, the fracture toughness further increased to 6.0 MPa m^1/2 for 40 mass% of fiber addition; this value was more than twice that of the monolithic SiC ceramic and is believed to be the highest so far achieved for this type of SiC/SiC composite containing chopped fibers.     

Temperature dependence of fracture effects in self-bonded SiC

The effect of temperature on the fracture strength and work of fracture of a self-bonded SiC has been measured from room temperature to 1100° C. Over the same temperature range the work of fracture was observed to increase twofold. These phenomena were accounted for in terms of the behaviour of the free-silicon phase. In addition, electron microscopy of the fractured surface was undertaken. Fracture chips showed that dislocations were generated during the failure process in both the secondary SiC and silicon phases. Stacking faults were observed in the SiC phases, and some of these were shown to have formed during the fracture process.     

Simulation of Mechanical Behaviors of Ceramic Composites Under Stress-Oxidation Environment While Considering the Effect of Matrix Cracks

This article proposes a model which takes the effect of matrix cracking into consideration and analyzes the mechanical behaviors of unidirectional ceramic matrix composites under stress-oxidation environment. The change in the rules of mass loss ratio, residual modulus and residual strength of unidirectional C/SiC composite under different stress, oxidation time, temperature and fiber volume fraction with the temperature varying from 400 to 900 °C have been discussed in this paper. The comparison between the predicted residual mechanics properties and the experiment results demonstrates that the predicted results have a good agreement with the experiment results, which means that the model is feasible to simulate mechanical behaviors of unidirectional C/SiC composite under stress oxidation environment.     

High mechanical performance SiC/SiC composites by NITE process with tailoring of appropriate fabrication temperature to fiber volume fraction

Unidirectional SiC/SiC composites are prepared by nano-powder infiltration and transient eutectic-phase (NITE) process, using pyrolytic carbon (PyC)-coated Tyranno-SA SiC fibers as reinforcement and SiC nano-powder with sintering additives for matrix formation. The effects of two kinds of fiber volume fraction incorporating fabrication temperature were characterized on densification, microstructure and mechanical properties. Densification of the composites with low fiber volume fraction (appropriately 30 vol%) was developed even at lower fabrication temperature of 1800 °C, and then saturated at 3rd stage of matrix densification corresponding to classic liquid phase sintering. Hence, densification of the composites with high volume fraction (above 50 vol%) became restricted because the many fibers retarded the infiltration of SiC nano-powder at lower fabrication temperature of 1800 °C. When fabrication temperature increased by 1900 °C, densification of the composites was effectively enhanced in the intra-fiber-bundles and simultaneously the interaction between PyC interface and matrix was strengthened. SEM observation on the fracture surface revealed that fiber pull-out length was accordingly changed with fabrication temperature as well as fiber volume fraction, which dominated tensile fracture behaviors. Through NITE process, SiC/SiC composites with two fracture types were successfully developed by tailoring of appropriate fabrication temperature to fiber volume fraction as follows: (1) high ductility type and (2) high strength type.