Effect of manufacturing defects on mechanical properties and failure features of 3D orthogonal woven C/C composites

For high performance 3D orthogonal textile Carbon/Carbon (C/C) composites, a key issue is the manufacturing defects, such as micro-cracks and voids. Defects can be substantial perturbations of the ideal architecture of the materials which trigger the failure mechanisms and compromise strength. This study presents comprehensive investigations, including experimental mechanical tests, micron-resolution computed tomography (μCT) detection and finite element modeling of the defects in the C/C composite. Virtual C/C specimens with void defects were constructed based on μCT data and a new progressive damage model for the composite was proposed. According to the numerical approach, effects of voids on mechanical performance of the C/C composite were investigated. Failure predictions of the C/C virtual specimens under different void fraction and location were presented. Numerical simulation results showed that voids in fiber yarns had the greatest influences on performance of the C/C composite, especially on tensile strength.