Fiber Strength Degradation Research Articles

Al2O3 fiber strength degradation in metal and intermetallic matrix composites

The mechanisms for fiber damage in single crystal Al2O3 fiber-reinforced composites were investigated. Both fiber fragmentation and fiber strength degradation were observed in composites with a variety of matrix compositions. Four mechanisms that may be contributing to the fiber strength loss have been proposed and include matrix reaction, reaction with binders, residual stress-induced damage, and pressure from hot pressing. The effect of matrix reaction was separated from the other three effects by sputter-coating the matrices on cleaned fibers and annealing with a temperature profile that simulates processing conditions. These experiments revealed that Y and Cr in FeCrAlY base alloys and Zr in NiAl alloys reacted with the fiber, and grooves and adherent particles were formed on the fiber surface which were responsible for the strength loss. The effects of the matrix reaction appeared to dominate over the other possible mechanisms, although evidence for reaction with binders was also found. Ridges on the fiber surface, which reflected the grain boundaries of the matrix, were also observed. In order for single-crystal Al2O3 to be used as a fiber in MMC's and IMC's, a matrix or protective coating which minimizes matrix reaction during processing will be necessary. Of the matrices investigated, the Thermo-spanTM alloy was the least damaging to fiber properties.

Preparation of carbon fibre reinforced aluminium via ultrasonic liquid infiltration technique

AbstractAn ultrasonic liquid infiltration technique has been developed for the fabrication of carbon fibre reinforced aluminium (CF/Al) precursor wires. The principal effect of ultrasound on aluminium infiltration into carbon fibres is considered to be caused by cavitation. The acoustic power required to produce cavitation in the present experimental system has been approximately calculated to be about 150 W, which is much greater than the requirement, several tens of watts, for overcoming the capillary pressure among carbon fibres. The observations on the morphology of the CF/Al precursor wires show that there are generally four states of infiltration: totally non-infiltrated, non-infiltrated in the centre and in some local regions of the wires, and completely infiltrated. It is found that carbon fibres can be sufficiently impregnated by molten aluminium given the appropriate application of ultrasound. Furthermore, a single fibre tensile test shows that there is no strength degradation of carbon fibres a...

Strength degradation of SiC-coated carbon fibres

Strength degradation of SiC-coated carbon fibres

Effect of fiber strength on the room temperature Tensile Properties of SiC/Ti-24Al-11Nb

To increase understanding of what controls SCS-6 SiC/Ti-24Al-11Nb (at. pct) composite strength, fibers of known strength were incorporated into composites and the effect of fiber strength variability on room temperature composite strength was investigated. Fiber was also etched out of a composite fabricated by the powder cloth technique, and the effect of the fabrication process on fiber strength was assessed. The strength of the composite was directly correlated with the strength of the as-received fiber. Fabrication by the powder cloth technique resulted in only a slight degradation of fiber strength. Examination of failed tensile specimens revealed periodic fiber cracks, and the failure mode was concluded to be cumulative.

Heat-exposure effects on the crystalline development and the strength degradation of silicon carbide fibers

Strength measurement under tensile stress and analysis of fractured surfaces were conducted for single SiC fibers heat-treated at 1300° C from a tension test. The tensile strength of the heat treated fibers was reduced by 45% compared with as-receive fibers. Pits are formed on the fiber surface during heat-treatment and these pits can be fracture origins under tensile stresses. From the results by TEM, WDS, XRD and SEM analyses, the pits can be identified as a SiC crystal region which grew abnormally with many microvoids. From the SEM observation, it is seen that all the fracture origins are surface flaw-pits. The shape of the fracture origins is a half-penny shaped crack on a surface perpendicular to the tensile axis and the relation between the depth (b) and the width (c) is found to be b = 0.5c. The fracture toughness, KIc, of the heat-treated fibers has been calculated from the relation between the depth of the fracture origin and the tensile strength and it was found that the value of fracture toughn...

Fiber fracture and strength degradation in unidirectional graphite/epoxy composite materials

An experimental study was conducted to determine the influence of load factor on fiber fracture development and residual strength of fatigue loaded unidirectional graphite/epoxy composite laminated. 8-phy composite laminates with a layer of release cloth imbedded at the middle ply were fatigued at different load levels and were examined for fiber fracture and residual strength at several stages of life based on the average number of cycles to failure (according to S- N data). From the experimental results, it is evident that the number of fiber fractures is nearly constant after the first few percent of the life. It is also suggested that the load level is much more important than the number of cycles of loading in the determination of the state of fiber fracture. This behavior was interrupted at high load levels ( S⪖60% S u where the final fracture was highly affected by the longitudinal matrix splittings. Residual strength is found to be independent of the global fiber fracture density, and to be controlled by local behavior such as matrix cracking, local clustering of fiber fractures, and other local stress concentrations.

Pressure Effects on the Thermal Stability of Silicon Carbide Fibers

Commerically available polymer‐derived SiC fibers were treated at temperatures from 1000° to 2200°C under vacuum and at argon gas pressures of 0.1 and 138 MPa. Effects of increasing inert gas pressure on the thermal stability of the fibers were determined through studies of the fiber microstructure, weight loss, grain growth, and tensile strength. The 138‐MPa argon gas treatment was found to shift the onset of fiber weight loss from 1200° to above 1500°C. Grain growth and tensile strength degradation were correlated with weight loss and were thus also inhibited by high‐pressure treatments. Retreatment in 0.1 MPa of argon of the fibers initially treated in 138 MPa of argon caused further weight loss and tensile strength degradation, thus indicating that high‐pressure inert gas conditions were effective only in delaying fiber strength degradation and that no permanent microstructural changes were induced.

Thermal degradation of the tensile strength of unidirectional boron/aluminum composites

The variation of ultimate tensile strength with thermal treatment of B-Al composite materials and of boron fibers chemically removed from these composites in an attempt to determine the mechanism of the resulting strength degradation was studied. Findings indicate that thermally cycling B-Al represents a more severe condition than equivalent time at temperature. Degradation of composite tensile strength from about 1.3 GN/m squared to as low as 0.34 GN/m squared was observed after 3,000 cycles to 420 C for 203 micrometers B-1100 Al composite. In general, the 1100 Al matrix composites degraded somewhat more than the 6061 matrix material studied. Measurement of fiber strengths confirmed a composite strength loss due to the degradation of fiber strength. Microscopy indicated a highly flawed fiber surface.