Influence of the strain rate on the mechanical behavior of the 3D needle-punched C/SiC composite

Compressive mechanical behavior of a 3D needle-punched C/SiC composite at room temperature was investigated at strain rate ranging from 10−4 to 6.5 × 103 1/s using the electronic universal testing machine and the split Hopkinson pressure bar. The experimental results show the strain rate has slight influence on the mechanical property of the material. The dynamic compression strength obeys the Weibull distribution with the Weibull parameter m calculated as 8.19. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the fracture surface of specimens tested at various strain rates indicate that the failure pattern of the material also varies with the strain rate.