Micromechanical Modeling for Tensile Behaviour of Carbon Fiber - Reinforced Ceramic - Matrix Composites

The stress-strain curves of fiber - reinforced ceramic - matrix composites (CMCs) exhibit obvious non-linear behaviour under tensile loading. The occurrence of multiple damage mechanisms, i.e., matrix multicracking, fiber/matrix interface debonding and fibers fracture, is the mainly reason for the non-linear characteristic. The micromechanics approach has been developed to predict the tensile stress-strain curves of unidirectional, cross-ply and woven CMCs. The shear-lag model was used to describe the micro stress field of the damaged composite. The damage models were used to determine the evolution of micro damage parameters, i.e., matrix crack spacing, interface debonded length and broken fibers fraction. By combining the shear-lag model with damage models and considering the effect of transverse multicracking in the 90A degrees plies or transverse yarns in cross-ply or woven CMCs, the tensile stress-strain curves of unidirectional, cross-ply, 2D and 2.5D woven CMCs have been predicted. The results agreed with experimental data.