MICRO-RAMAN STUDY OF SIC FIBER OXIDE MATRIX REACTION

Micro-Raman analysis is a non-destructive technique used to provide in formation on the compressive/tensile strain applied to a fibre embedde d in a ceramic matrix composite. Carefull analysis of this information helps to understand the physical-chemical evolution of the fibre. Exa mple of continuous SiC Nicalon(R) fibres reinforcing various ceramic m atrices (mullite, NASICON) shows how the comparison between fibre core and fibre periphery spectra-using wavenumber, bandwidth and intensity -provides independant tools to check the fibre evolution and to distin guish thermally and chemically induced transformations. (C) 1997 Elsev ier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.