Fatigue of Ceramic Matrix Composites: Damage Mechanisms and Fatigue Life Diagrams

Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) provide higher strength and toughness properties than are possible from monolithic ceramics, in addition to the high temperature resistance. The mechanisms of toughness of these materials have been treated extensively, although some confusion exists in characterizing this property, which has been recently addressed in a systematic manner (Sorensen and Talreja 1995). It is, however, of greater importance in most engineering applications that the long term behavior of CMCs remains in a safe regime. In particular, degradation of stiffness and strength under cyclic loading is a major concern.