In situ tensile damage characterization of C/C composites through X-ray computed tomography and digital volume correlation

Carbon fiber reinforced carbon matrix (C/C) composites have been used in aerospace applications due to their excellent performance. Exploring their failure mechanisms is a subject of extensive research. Nowadays, to obtain information about changes in the failure processes, a technology known as in situ X-ray computed to-mography is used. In this paper, tensile loads were applied to 3D fine-woven punctured and needle-punched C/C composites perpendicular to the punctured and needle-punched directions. In situ X-ray computed tomography was employed to observe damage development, and digital volume correlation was used to assess the laboratory X-ray computed tomographs to measure local strains. Assimilation of pores is observed in C/C composites, with cracks evolving from original micro-pores. While fine-woven punctured C/C composites present an elegant linear failure, needle-punched C/C composites present a traditional non-linear failure. This difference is due to the different structures of the preforms. Furthermore, the C/C composites are weak at the sites where they are punctured or needle-punched.