Fracture Behavior of C/C Composite under Bi-axial Tensile Loading

Abstract

Fracture behavior of C/C composite subjected to bi-axial tensile loading was examined using pipe specimens. The bi-axial tensile load was applied by the combination of inner pressure using water and axial load by a conventional mechanical testing machine. Preliminary experiments showed that this method was appropriate to both C/C and fiber reinforced plastic tubes. The C/C tubes exhibited higher tensile fracture strains under bi-axial tensile loading than that under uni-axial loading. This is suggested to be due to fiber/matrix interfacial fractures appeared only under bi-axial tensile loading.