Modeling the bundle bridging mechanism in 2D SiC/C/SiC composite materials

Mechanical tests have been carried out on various sizes of compact tension (CT) specimen made of two-dimensional woven SiC/C/SiC composite material. A s a continuation of previous work, a model is proposed to estimate the magn itude of the bundle bridging mechanism in this composite. The results summa rized below, which are compared with previous ones obtained from mechanical tests performed on dog-bone and double-edge notched specimens, show that t he smallest size of CT specimen (W = 20 mm) provides a satisfactory estimat e of the ultimate tensile strength of the bundle of fibers (UTSBF). However , it has been noted that a more accurate estimate of the bundle strength co uld be achieved by a more precise model of the crack-opening angle and its effects on both bundle bridging and pull-out mechanisms. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.