Stress-strain and fracture behaviour of 0°/90° and plain weave ceramic matrix composites from tow multi-axial properties

Abstract A computationally economic finite-element-based multi-linear elastic orthotropic materials approach has been developed to predict the stress–strain and fracture behaviour of ceramic matrix composites with strain-induced damage. The finite element analysis utilises a solid element to represent a homogenised orthotropic medium of a heterogeneous uni-directional tow. The non-linear multi-axial stress–strain behaviour has been discretised to multi-linear elastic curves, which have been implemented by a user defined subroutine or UMAT in the commercial finite element package, ABAQUS. The model has been used to study the performance of two CMC composites: a SiC (Nicalon) fibre/calcium aluminosilicate (CAS) matrix 0°/90° cross-ply laminate Nicalon/CAS; and, a carbon fibre/carbon matrix–SiC matrix (C/C–SiC) plain weave laminate DLR-XT. The global stress–strain curves with catastrophic fracture behaviour and effects of fibre waviness have been predicted. Comparisons have been made between the predictions and experimental data for both materials. The predicted results when fibre waviness is taken into account compare well with the experimental data.

[1]  François Hild,et al.  Continuum Description of Damage in Ceramic-Matrix Composites , 1997 .

[2]  J. Whitcomb,et al.  Effects of fiber tow misalignment on the engineering properties of plain weave textile composites , 1997 .

[3]  Tsu-Wei Chou,et al.  Characterization and modeling of microcracking and elastic moduli changes in Nicalon/CAS composites , 1993 .

[4]  D. Hayhurst,et al.  FINITE ELEMENT MODELING OF TRANSVERSE DEFORMATION IN REPRESENTATIVE VOLUME ELEMENTS OF CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITES (CMCs) , 2010 .

[5]  B. Harris,et al.  Matrix cracking and the mechanical behaviour of SiC─CAS composites , 1992, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A: Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

[6]  A. Tabiei,et al.  Computationally Efficient Micromechanical Models for Woven Fabric Composite Elastic Moduli , 2001 .

[7]  Brian N. Cox,et al.  A Binary Model of textile composites: III high failure strain and work of fracture in 3D weaves , 2003 .

[8]  Pierre Ladevèze,et al.  Construction of a micromechanics-based intralaminar mesomodel, and illustrations in ABAQUS/Standard , 2008 .

[9]  D. Hayhurst,et al.  Multi-axial failure of ceramic matrix composite fiber tows , 2011 .

[10]  David B. Marshall,et al.  Integral Textile Ceramic Structures , 2008 .

[11]  Y. C. Zhang,et al.  A numerical micromechanics analysis of the mechanical properties of a plain weave composite , 1990 .

[12]  D. R. Hayhurst,et al.  Component design-based model for deformation and rupture of tough fibre-reinforced ceramic matrix composites , 1991, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A: Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

[13]  B. Cox,et al.  Spatially Averaged Local Strains in Textile Composites Via the Binary Model Formulation , 2003 .

[14]  A. Dasgupta,et al.  Orthotropic Thermal Conductivity of Plain-Weave Fabric Composites Using a Homogenization Technique , 1992 .

[15]  Walter Krenkel,et al.  High Temperature Ceramic Matrix Composites , 2002 .

[16]  Norman A. Fleck,et al.  A binary model of textile composites—I. Formulation , 1994 .

[17]  H. Ismar,et al.  Modeling and numerical simulation of the mechanical behavior of woven SiC/SiC regarding a three-dimensional unit cell , 2000 .

[18]  Microstructural finite-element modelling of a ceramic matrix composite to predict experimental measurements of its macro thermal properties , 2001 .

[19]  D. Hayhurst,et al.  Predictions of thermo-mechanical behavior of a Nicalon-CAS 0°-90° ceramic matrix composite from constituent materials properties , 2011 .

[20]  S. C. Taylor,et al.  EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF MECHANICAL LOADING ON THERMAL TRANSPORT IN CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITES , 2009 .

[21]  Grant P. Steven,et al.  Micromechanics models for the elastic constants and failure strengths of plain weave composites , 1999 .

[22]  D. Hayhurst,et al.  Uni-axial stress–strain response and thermal conductivity degradation of ceramic matrix composite fibre tows , 2009, Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences.

[23]  P. Charalambides,et al.  Elastic Response of Porous Matrix Plain Weave Fabric Composites: Part I—Modeling , 1998 .

[24]  Grant P. Steven,et al.  Modelling for predicting the mechanical properties of textile composites : A review , 1997 .

[25]  S. Adanur,et al.  Modeling of Elastic, Thermal, and Strength/Failure Analysis of Two-Dimensional Woven Composites—A Review , 2007 .

[26]  Brian N. Cox,et al.  A binary model of textile composites—II. The elastic regime , 1995 .