Graceful failure of laminated ceramic tubes produced by electrophoretic deposition

The production of silicon carbide laminated ceramic tubes by electrophoreti c deposition was investigated. Alternating deposition of SiC and graphite l ayers was obtained by depositing SiC from an acetone based suspension and b y depositing the graphite interlayers from an iso-propyl alcohol based susp ension. Laminated tubes were made and rings cut from these tubes were teste d in diametral compression. Tough behaviour was observed. the SiC layers fa iled one by one and the cracks were deflected into the graphite interlayers . The failure event sequence is described and supported with simple linear elastic calculations for the expected load-displacement diagram. (C) 1998 E lsevier Science Limited. All rights reserved.