Static fatigue of SiC-based multifilament tows at intermediate temperature: The time to failure variability

Abstract

Multiple attempts have been devoted to interpret and predict the time to failure variability experienced on SiC bundles by slow-crack-growth. External discrete phenomena such as fiber sticking or load sharing are usually pointed. These approaches were reviewed and compared to extensive datasets on 6 fiber types, showing their insufficiency to cover the full scattering range. An original theory was hence evaluated: in addition to filament strength distribution, ruled by weakest link theory and therefore narrowly scattered, a bias on tow section and thus on applied stress, was introduced. Consistent results were obtained through a Monte-Carlo algorithm integrating these stochastic parameters.