EFFECTS OF PULL-OUT ON THE MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES OF CERAMIC-MATRIX COMPOSITES

The influence of fiber pull-out on the mechanical properties of fiber reinforced ceramics has been analyzed using an approach based on weakest-link statistics. The essential physics contributed by the statistics is the establishment of a relationship between the fiber failure site, which governs the pull-out length, and the properties of the fibers, the matrix, and the interface. This analysis involves the development of a stress/displacement law for fibers in the bridging zone of a matrix crack, thereby permitting a discussion of the crack growth resistance and its dependence on microstructural variables.