This book is a comprehensive source of information on various aspects of ceramic matrix composites (CMC). It covers ceramic and carbon fibers; the fiber-matrix interface; processing, properties and industrial applications of various CMC systems; architecture, mechanical behavior at room and elevated temperatures, environmental effects and protective coatings, foreign object damage, modeling, life prediction, integration and joining. Each chapter in the book is written by specialists and internationally renowned researchers in the field. This book will provide state-of-the-art information on...

Flaws are the principal source of fracture in many materials, whether brittle or ductile, whether nearly homogeneous or composite. They are introduced during either fabrication or surface preparation or during exposure to aggressive environments (e. g. oxidation, shocks). The critical flaws act as stress concentrators and initiate cracks that propagate instantaneously to failure in the absence of crack arrest phenomena as encountered in brittle materials.

This book explores those brittle materials susceptible to crack arrest and the flaws which initiate crack induced damage. A...