Tensile and Stress-Rupture Behavior of SiC/SiC Minicomposite Containing Chemically Vapor Deposited Zirconia Interphase

The tensile and stress-rupture behavior of SiC/SiC minicomposite containing a chemically vapor deposited (CVD) ZrO₂ interphase was evaluated. Fractographic analyses showed that in situ fiber strength and minicomposite failure loads were strongly dependent on the phase contents and microstructure of the ZrO₂ interphase. When the ZrO₂ interphase structure possessed a weakly bonded interface within the dense ZrO₂ interphase coating layer, the interphase sufficiently protected the fiber surface from processing degradation and promoted matrix crack deflection around the fibers. With this weakly bonded interphase, the stress-rupture properties of SiC/SiC minicomposite at 950° and 1200°C appeared to be controlled by fiber rupture properties, and compared favorably to those previously measured for state-of-the-art BN fiber coatings.