The oxidation behaviour of carbon reinforced glass matrix composites

Oxidation experiments have been performed on carbon fibre reinforced glass matrix composites as a function of glass composition. The oxidation resistance of the carbon fibres has been shown to be related to the microstructure of the glass and the adherence of the grass to the carbon fibres. Coating of the fibres with a SiC CVD precursor has been shown to improve the oxidation resistance of the fibres. However, post-exposure mechanical characterization has shown an inverse relationship between oxidation resistance and the ability of the composites to exhibit ''graceful'' failures. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Limited and Techna S.r.l.