ELEVATED-TEMPERATURE INTERFACIAL BEHAVIOR OF MMCS - A COMPUTATIONAL STUDY

Metallic and intermetallic matrix composites (MMCs and IMCs) are poten tial candidates for future use in the aerospace industry because of th eir high strength-to-weight ratio even at elevated temperatures. The t hermomechanical behaviour of the fibre-matrix interface plays an impor tant role in the successful application of this class of composites. T he push-out test is emerging as an important experimental tool for cha racterizing the interfacial behaviour of MMCs and IMCs. In this study, the single-fibre push-out test is modelled using the finite element m ethod, with the objectives of studying the interface failure process a nd extracting interfacial properties from the experimental test result s. Earlier studies by the authors emphasized the significance of proce ssing-induced residual stresses in titanium-based composites and their effects on push-out test results. In the present work, the developed methodology is used to study the interfacial behaviour during push-out tests at elevated temperatures. An attempt is made to predict interfa cial shear strengths at elevated temperatures, by correlating the nume rical simulations and the experimental results.