Structural response of oxidation-resistant carbon/carbon composites

Computational simulation of time, temperature, and oxidation-dependent response of carbon/carbon composites is illustrated and compared to experimental data. The material system examined is a SiC-coated, balanced eight-laver 8-harness satin weave carbon fibre cloth with boron carbide inhibitors in the matrix. Two representative cells, in-plane and through-the-thickness of the textile architecture, are developed to describe time(oxidation)-dependent material properties and thermo-mechanical response under static and cyclic loads with two-dimensional finite elements. These intelligible models enable a realistic interpretation of the overall response of the laminate subjected to the complex thermal-oxidative-mechanical loading conditions, and closely agree with the experimental data. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.