Experimental evaluation and theoretical prediction of elastic properties and failure of C/C‐SiC composite

Abstract

AbstractThe paper presents experimental characterization and theoretical predictions of elastic and failure properties of continuous carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide (C/C‐SiC) composite fabricated by Liquid Silicon Infiltration (LSI). Its mechanical properties were determined under uniaxial tensile, compression, and pure shear loads in two sets of principal coordinate systems, 0°–90° and ±45°, respectively. The properties measured in the 0°–90° coordinate system were employed as the input data to predict their counterparts in the ±45° coordinate system. Through coordinate transformations of stress and strain tensors, the elastic constants and stress‐strain behaviors were predicted and found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. In the same way, three different failure criteria, maximum stress, Tsai‐Wu, and maximum strain, have been selected for the evaluation of the failure of C/C‐SiC as a type of genuinely orthotropic material. Based on the comparisons with experimental results, supported by necessary practical justifications, the Tsai‐Wu criterion was found to offer a reasonable prediction of the strengths, which can be assisted by the maximum stress criterion to obtain an indicative prediction of the respective failure modes.