DAMAGE MODELING FOR A LAMINATED CERAMIC COMPOSITE

A general theory of damage mechanics is applied to a fibre-reinforced ceramic matrix composite, SiC/MAS-L, in order to describe its non-line ar mechanical behaviour up to Failure. This study is limited to the ca se of quasi-monotonic loading at room temperature. The model, which us es an anisotropic damage theory previously applied to other composites , is a mesoscopic-scale model which has been developed using tension-c ompression tests on different stacking sequences and applies in the ca se of multiaxial loading. It includes the marked differences observed between mechanical behaviour in tension and in compression, and is als o able to predict the failure values. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. A ll rights reserved.