From Room Temperature to 1500  deg.C: Unlocking the Toughness of Ceramic Matrix Composites Under Extreme Conditions

Silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide (SiCf/SiC) composites are emerging as promising materials for the hottest parts of aircraft engines and hypersonic vehicles, where metals face increasing performance limits. A new study examines how temperature and surrounding atmosphere influence the fracture toughness and failure behavior of two-dimensional plain-woven SiCf/SiC composites. By combining high-temperature fracture tests, microscopic failure analysis, and physics-based modeling, the