Representation of micro-structural evolution and thermo-mechanical damage in thermal shocked oxide/oxide ceramic matrix composites

The oxide/oxide ceramic matrix composites display complex mechanical behavior under thermo-mechanical loading conditions. The present work focuses on micro-structural evolution and resultant macroscopic properties during cyclic thermal shocks. Micro-structural investigation reveals that variations of nano-, micro- and macro-pores in the matrix characterize collective behavior of micro-structural evolution in the material. Material damage development is characterized by micro-cracking in the matrix and can be described by the matrix porosity increment. The present investigation confirms the unique correlation between the porosity and the micro-structural degradation evolution of the material under different loading conditions.