2738 Crack-healing behavior of Mullite/SiC multi-composite under stress

Abstract

A mullite / SiC whisker / SiC particle multi-composite, having excellent crack-healing ability and mechanical properties, was hot-pressed in order to investigate the crack-healing behavior under stress and the resultant fatigue strength at the temperature of healing. A semi-elliptical surface crack 100 μm in surface length was introduced on each specimen. The pre-cracked specimens were crack-healed under cyclic or constant stress by using a three-point bending stress at 1473 K, and the resultant bending strength and cyclic fatigue strength were measured at 1473 K. The pre-crack on the surface of the specimens could be healed even under stress. The threshold stresses for crack-healing, as determined by evaluating the strengths of crack-healed specimens at a healing temperature of 1473 K, were 170 MPa for both constant and cyclic stresses, corresponding to 77% of the bending strength of the pre-cracked specimens. The static and cyclic fatigue strengths of crack-healed specimens were also investigated at a healing temperature of 1473 K.