Time-temperature-stress dependence of boron fiber deformation

The time-dependent deformation of boron fibers over the temperature range from -190 to 800 C is studied by flexural stress relaxation and flexural internal friction techniques on 203-micron diam specimen fibers commercially produced by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on a 13-micron tungsten substrate. It is shown that up to at least 800 C all nonelastic behavior observed during axial deformation of CVD boron fibers can be explained solely by anelastic mechanisms and that although creep strains are small, boron fiber anelasticity can produce significant mechanical effects which would otherwise be neglected under the elastic approximation. Relations are obtained to demonstrate the considerable effects of anelasticity on such fiber/composite properties as modulus, creep, creep recovery, stress relaxation, and damping capacity. For an elastic-core/anelastic-sheath model, boron fibers on tungsten substrates are shown to have predictable fracture stresses for time-temperature conditions ranging from impact to long-time stress rupture. Possible techniques for altering these stresses are discussed.