ELEVATED-TEMPERATURE EFFECTS OF OXYGEN ON SIC/SIC COMPOSITES

High-temperature exposures of SiC/SiC composites to oxidizing environments can lead to substantial changes in mechanical behavior. In the work reported here, results from flexure and crack growth experiments are used to demonstrate such effects. Flexure tests of graphite-coated Nicalon-reinforced SiC previously oxidized in air at 950-degrees-C revealed that degradation of fracture resistance began after very short exposure times (less than 1 h) and could be described in terms of distinct oxidation effects on strength and fiber pullout. Crack velocities were determined as a function of applied stress intensity and time for varying O2 levels. It was observed that crack velocities increased at 1,100-degrees-C in the presence of oxygen, which also shifted the onset of stage III (power law) growth to lower values of applied stress intensity. The crack growth observations were described using a two-dimensional micro-mechanical model developed to simulate cracks bridged by continuous fibers. Fiber creep relaxation predicted the correct crack velocity and time-dependence in argon, but other mechanisms, such as interface removal, are required to explain the data in Ar + O2.