Damage evolution of SiCf/Ti composites under dynamic transverse tension revealed by in-situ X-ray imaging

The SiCf/Ti composite panels are promising candidates for lightweight aerospace structures. However, their transverse behavior under dynamic loading remains poorly understood. The SiCf/TC17 composite core panel with TC4 claddings was fabricated via magnetron sputtering combined with vacuum hot-pressing (VHP). Dynamic transverse tensile tests were conducted at room temperature using a miniaturized split Hopkinson tension bar (SHTB) integrated with time-resolved X-ray phase-contrast imaging (XPCI). SEM and EBSD were used for post-mortem characterization. At the average strain rate of 1083 s⁻¹, the composite exhibits a transverse tensile strength of 396 MPa. In-situ X-ray imaging, together with fracture surface SEM and EBSD analyses, reveals a progressive failure sequence of interfacial damage, fiber fracture, matrix fracture, and final cladding fracture.