Effect of Load Rate on Tensile Strength of Various CFCCs at Elevated Temperatures: An Approach to Life Prediction Testing

Strength of three continuous fiber-reinforced ceramic composites, including SiC/CAS-11, SiC/MAS-5 and SiC/SiC, was determined as a function of test rate in air at 1100 - 1200 C. All three composite materials exhibited a strong dependency of strength on test rate, similar to the behavior observed in many advanced monolithic ceramics at elevated temperatures. The application of the preloading technique as well as the prediction of life from one loading configuration (constant stress-rate) to another (constant stress loading) suggested that the overall macroscopic failure mechanism of the composites would be the one governed by a power-law tyw of damage evolution/accumulation, analogous to slow crack growth commonly observed in advanced monolithic ceramics. It was further found that constant stress-rate testing could be used as an alternative to life prediction test methodology even for the composite materials at least for the short range of lifetime.