The effect of specimen width on the bending strength of ceramic matrix textile composites

Effects of specimen width on the bending strength of textile composites were investigated. 4 points bending tests were conducted on the 8-harness satin Nicalon/SiC (NICAROCERAM) composites. The width of the specimen was varied. Experimental results indicated that the bending strength increases with increasing width and drops at the multiples of the unit cell size. Analytical approach based on Curtin's model was conducted to characterize the experimental results. The analytical prediction was compared with the experimental results.