Mesh-objective two-scale finite element analysis of damage and failure in ceramic matrix composites

Abstract A mesh-objective two-scale finite element approach for analyzing damage and failure of fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites is presented here. The commercial finite element software suite Abaqus is used to generate macroscopic models, e.g., structural-level components or parts of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), coupled with a second finite element code which pertains to the sub-scale at the fiber-matrix interface level, which is integrated seamlessly using user-generated subroutines and referred to as the integrated finite element method (IFEM). IFEM calculates the reaction of a microstructural sub-scale model that consists of a representative volume element (RVE) which includes all constituents of the actual material, e.g., fiber, matrix, and fiber/matrix interfaces, details of packing, and nonuniformities in properties. The energy-based crack band theory (CBT) is implemented within IFEM’s sub-scale constitutive laws to predict micro-cracking in all constituents included in the model. The communication between the micro- and macro-scale is achieved through the exchange of strain, stress, and stiffness tensors. Important failure parameters, e.g., crack path and proportional limit, are part of the solution and predicted with a high level of accuracy. Numerical predictions are validated against experimental results.