Matrix Cracks (matrix + crack)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Effects of Matrix Cracks on the Thermal Diffusivity of a Fiber-Reinforced Ceramic Composite

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 9 2001
Kathleen R. McDonald
Effects of matrix cracks and the attendant interface debonding and sliding on both the longitudinal and the transverse thermal diffusivities of a unidirectional Nicalon/MAS composite are investigated. The diffusivity measurements are made in situ during tensile testing using a phase-sensitive photothermal technique. The contribution to the longitudinal thermal resistance from each of the cracks is determined from the longitudinal diffusivity along with measurements of crack density. By combining the transverse measurements with the predictions of an effective medium model, the thermal conductance of the interface (characterized by a Biot number) is determined and found to decrease with increasing crack opening displacement, from an initial value of ,1 to ,0.3. This degradation is attributed to the deleterious effects of interface sliding on the thermal conductance. Corroborating evidence of degradation in the interface conductance is obtained from the inferred crack conductances coupled with a unit cell model for a fiber composite containing a periodic array of matrix cracks. Additional notable features of the material behavior include: (i) reductions of ,20% in both the longitudinal and the transverse diffusivities at stresses near the ultimate strength, (ii) almost complete recovery of the longitudinal diffusivity following unloading, and (iii) essentially no change in the transverse diffusivity following unloading. The recovery of the longitudinal diffusivity is attributed to closure of the matrix cracks. By contrast, the degradation in the interface conductance is permanent, as manifest in the lack of recovery of the transverse diffusivity. [source]


Mullite/Alumina Mixtures for Use as Porous Matrices in Oxide Fiber Composites

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 2 2004
Hiroki Fujita
Weakly bonded particle mixtures of mullite and alumina are assessed as candidate matrixes for use in porous matrix ceramic composites. Conditions for the deflection of a matrix crack at a fiber-matrix interface are used to identify the combinations of modulus and toughness of the fibers and the matrix for which damage-tolerant behavior is expected to occur in the composite. Accordingly, the present study focuses on the modulus and toughness of the particle mixtures, as well as the changes in these properties following aging at elevated temperature comparable to the targeted upper-use temperature for oxide composites. Models based on bonded particle aggregates are presented, assessed, and calibrated. The experimental and modeling results are combined to predict the critical aging times at which damage tolerance is lost because of sintering at the particle junctions and the associated changes in mechanical properties. For an aging temperature of 1200°C, the critical time exceeds 10 000 h for the mullite-rich mixtures. [source]


Modeling the Ultimate Tensile Strength of Unidirectional Glass-Matrix Composites

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 1 2000
R. E. Dutton
The ultimate tensile strengths of a unidirectional glass-matrix composite were measured as a function of fiber volume fraction. The results were compared with predictions, using a refined solution of the stress field generated by an axisymmetric damage model, which incorporated the effect of stress concentration in the fiber caused by the presence of a matrix crack both before and after deflection at the fiber/matrix interface. Two possible locations for the fiber failure were considered: (1) at a transverse matrix crack, near a bonded fiber/coating interface and (2) at the tip of a debond, at the fiber/coating interface. At low fiber volume fractions, the measured ultimate tensile strength matched the prediction calculated, assuming no crack deflection. For higher volume fractions, the predictions calculated for a debonded crack matched the observed values. The model results were relatively insensitive to debond length and interfacial shear stress for the range of values in this study. In comparison, the global load-sharing model, which does not account for the stress singularity at the fiber/matrix interface, was found to overpredict the values of the ultimate tensile strength for all fiber volume fractions. An important contribution of the present work was to introduce the use of fiber volume fraction as a parameter for testing theoretical predictions of the mode of fiber failure. [source]


Effects of Matrix Cracks on the Thermal Diffusivity of a Fiber-Reinforced Ceramic Composite

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 9 2001
Kathleen R. McDonald
Effects of matrix cracks and the attendant interface debonding and sliding on both the longitudinal and the transverse thermal diffusivities of a unidirectional Nicalon/MAS composite are investigated. The diffusivity measurements are made in situ during tensile testing using a phase-sensitive photothermal technique. The contribution to the longitudinal thermal resistance from each of the cracks is determined from the longitudinal diffusivity along with measurements of crack density. By combining the transverse measurements with the predictions of an effective medium model, the thermal conductance of the interface (characterized by a Biot number) is determined and found to decrease with increasing crack opening displacement, from an initial value of ,1 to ,0.3. This degradation is attributed to the deleterious effects of interface sliding on the thermal conductance. Corroborating evidence of degradation in the interface conductance is obtained from the inferred crack conductances coupled with a unit cell model for a fiber composite containing a periodic array of matrix cracks. Additional notable features of the material behavior include: (i) reductions of ,20% in both the longitudinal and the transverse diffusivities at stresses near the ultimate strength, (ii) almost complete recovery of the longitudinal diffusivity following unloading, and (iii) essentially no change in the transverse diffusivity following unloading. The recovery of the longitudinal diffusivity is attributed to closure of the matrix cracks. By contrast, the degradation in the interface conductance is permanent, as manifest in the lack of recovery of the transverse diffusivity. [source]


Microwave and conventional curing of thick-section thermoset composite laminates: Experiment and simulation

POLYMER COMPOSITES, Issue 2 2001
Erik T. Thostenson
In conventional processing, thermal gradients cause differential curing of thick laminates and undesirable outside-in solidification. To reduce thermal gradients, thick laminates are processed at lower cure temperatures and heated with slow heating rates, resulting in excessive cure times. Microwaves can transmit energy volumetrically and instantaneously through direct interaction of materials with applied electromagnetic fields. The more efficient energy transfer of microwaves can alleviate the problems associated with differential curing, and the preferred inside-out solidification can be obtained. In this work, both microwave curing and thermal curing of 24.5 mm (1 inch) thick-section glass/epoxy laminates are investigated through the development of a numerical process simulation and conducting experiments in processing thick laminates in a conventional autoclave and a microwave furnace. Outside-in curing of the autoclave-processed laminate resulted in visible matrix cracks, while cracks were not visible in the microwave-processed laminate. Both numerical and experimental results show that volumetric heating due to microwaves promotes an inside-out cure and can dramatically reduce the overall processing time. [source]