Mechanical behavior and fatigue damage of a titanium matrix composite reinforced with continuous SiC fibers

A titanium (Ti-6242) matrix composite reinforced with continuous SiC fibers was studied. The mechanical behavior of the matrix and the composite was characterized by tensile, creep and isothermal fatigue tests at room temperature and up to 550 °C. The thermo-mechanical fatigue behavior under in-phase and out-of-phase conditions was investigated for the composite between 100 and 550 °C. Fracture surfaces were characterized by confocal light microscopy and by scanning electron microscopy to identify the damage mechanisms.