Fatigue Life of a 2.5D C/SiC Composite Under Tension–Tension Cyclic Loading: Experimental Investigation and Sensitivity Analysis

Engineering structures made of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) usually suffer from cyclic loads during service, which could lead to disastrous failures. This work focuses on the fatigue behavior of a 2.5D C/SiC composite under tension–tension cyclic loading. Experiments of the 2.5D C/SiC composite are firstly carried out to determine the fatigue lifetime of the material at different stress levels. The fracture surfaces examined by a scanning electronic microscope indicate that the damage mechanisms under cyclic loading are closely related to crack propagation, fiber/matrix interfacial degradation, and fiber breakage. Considering the damage evolution of fibers and interfacial resistance, a micromechanical model is adopted to describe the fatigue behavior of 2.5D C/SiC composite, and the numerical results are compared with the experimental results. Further, a sensitivity analysis is performed as a function of the interfacial shear stress, fiber Weibull modulus, and fiber strength. The calculation of sensitivity factors shows that the variations of the fiber Weibull modulus and fiber strength have the most significant influence and, thereafter, the variation of interfacial shear stress.