Estimate Interface Shear Stress of Unidirectional C/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites from Hysteresis Loops

The tensile-tensile fatigue behavior of unidirectional C/SiC ceramic matrix composites at room and elevated temperature has been investigated. An approach to estimate the interface shear stress of ceramic matrix composites under fatigue loading has been developed. Based on the damage mechanisms of fiber sliding relative to matrix in the interface debonded region upon unloading and subsequent reloading, the unloading interface reverse slip length and reloading interface new slip length are determined by the fracture mechanics approach. The hysteresis loss energy for the strain energy lost per volume during corresponding cycle is formulatd in terms of interface shear stress. By comparing the experimental hysteresis loss energy with the computational values, the interface shear stress of unidirectional C/SiC ceramic composites corresponding to different cycles at room and elevated temperatures has been predicted.