Chapter 6 - Fatigue behavior of continuous fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to provide a general overview of the fatigue behavior of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) with continuous fiber reinforcement. While the emphasis will be on experimental results, the data presented will be related to fatigue damage mechanisms and models that provide insight into how microstructural damage controls fatigue life. The chapter gives a brief idea on the fatigue nomenclature and the fatigue behavior of ceramics. The topics such as monotonic tensile behavior and microstructural damage, isothermal fatigue life—influence of fatigue maximum stress, mechanisms of fatigue damage, influence of mean stress on isothermal fatigue life, influence of temperature and test environment on isothermal fatigue life, influence of loading frequency on isothermal fatigue life, thermal fatigue, and thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) are discussed in the chapter. Readers will get an understanding of fatigue damage mechanism through the chapter. The mechanisms responsible for the frequency dependence of fatigue life in ceramic composites are also discussed.