An approach to estimate crack opening displacement in two-dimensional plain-woven silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide composite considering different matrix cracking modes.

Understanding of cracking opening behavior is important for the prediction of residual strength and lifetime of silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide ceramic–matrix composites at elevated temperatures. Under tensile loading below the proportional limit stress, multiple matrix cracking modes in the longitudinal and transverse yarns of a two-dimensional plain-woven silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide composite appear in the matrix with debonding at the fiber/matrix interface. Crack opening displacement is a key parameter to characterize the crack opening behavior in silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide composites and is affected by the multiple matrix cracking modes. In this article, a damage-based micromechanical crack opening displacement model for two-dimensional plain-woven silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide composites is developed considering different matrix cracking modes. Two typical matrix cracking modes in a two-dimensional plain-woven silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide composite, that is, cracking mode III with cracking in the matrix of the longitudinal and transverse yarns and cracking mode V with cracking only in the matrix of the longitudinal yarns, are considered. Micro stress field in the fiber, matrix of the longitudinal yarns, and transverse yarns are obtained. The crack opening displacement and related damage parameters are determined. Relationships between composite's crack opening displacement, constitutive properties, woven parameters, and damage state are established. Experimental crack opening displacements of cracking modes III and V in a two-dimensional plain-woven melt-infiltration silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide composite from the published literature are predicted. For cracking mode III with partial interface debonding, the crack opening displacement increased nonlinearly with applied stress; and for cracking mode V with complete interface debonding, the crack opening displacement increased linearly with applied stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]