Characterization of Damage Accumulation in a C/SiC Composite at Elevated Temperatures

This research is part of a program aimed to evaluate and demonstrate the ability of candidate CMC materials for a variety of applications in reusable launch vehicles. The life and durability of these materials in rocket and engine applications are of major concern and there is a need to develop and validate life prediction methodology. In this study, material characterization and mechanical testing was performed in order to identify the failure modes, degradation mechanisms, and progression of damage in a C/SiC composite at elevated temperatures. The motivation for this work is to provide the relevant damage information that will form the basis for the development of a physically based life prediction methodology.