Refined Multi-Scale Mechanical Modeling of C/C-SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Computational Mechanics

Background:

• Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs) like C/C-SiC are crucial for high-temperature applications.
• Accurate micromechanical analysis is essential for understanding C/C-SiC behavior.
• Existing models may not fully capture the complex multi-scale microstructure of C/C-SiC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a refined multi-scale micromechanical framework for C/C-SiC composites.
• To accurately predict effective mechanical properties and local stress fields.
• To provide a foundation for advanced modeling of C/C-SiC.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a Parametric High-Fidelity Method of Cells (PHFGMCs) with a three-level geometric model.
• Employed specialized dual micro-meso nested PHFGMCs for an 8-harness C/C-SiC representative volume element (RVE).
• Integrated data from scanning electron microscope (SEM) and computed tomography (CT) scans.

Main Results:

• The refined PHFGMC framework demonstrated good agreement with experimental data for C/C-SiC mechanical properties.
• Successfully predicted the spatial distributions of local stress fields within the heterogeneous microstructure.
• Showcased the model's capability to resolve local spatial deformation in complex C/C-SiC structures.

Conclusions:

• A refined multi-scale analysis is necessary to capture microstructural complexity and constituent interactions in C/C-SiC.
• The proposed PHFGMC framework offers a robust foundation for future nonlinear and damage modeling of C/C-SiC.
• The study validates the effectiveness of the PHFGMC approach for analyzing C/C-SiC CMCs.