An experimental study of ultra-high temperature ceramics under tension subject to an environment with elevated temperature, mechanical stress and oxygen

Ultra-high temperature ceramic (UHTC) composites are widely used in high-temperature environments in aerospace applications. They experience extremely complex environmental conditions during service, including thermal, mechanical and chemical loading. Therefore, it is critical to evaluate the mechanical properties of UHTCs subject to an environment with elevated temperature, mechanical stress and oxygen. In this paper, an experimental investigation of the uniaxial tensile properties of a ZrB2-SiC-graphite subject to an environment with a simultaneously elevated temperature, mechanical stress and oxygen is conducted based on a high-temperature mechanical testing system. To improve efficiency, an orthogonal experimental design is used. It is suggested that the temperature has the most important effect on the properties, and the oxidation time and stress have an almost equal effect. Finally, the fracture morphology is characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the mechanism is investigated. It was concluded that the main fracture mode involved graphite flakes pulling out of the matrix and crystalline fracture, which indicates the presence of a weak interface in the composites.