Heterogeneous structuring of ceramic composites has the potential to achieve properties and performances superior to their constituent materials, however they also come with a unique set of challenges. Among these are residual stresses that arise during processing due to the mismatch in thermal expansion and elastic properties of the constituent materials. While this residual stress is among the primary reasons for the potential for better properties and improved performance, it can also reduce them or even cause failure during processing if not properly controlled. Thus, in an effort to control residual stress and improve the strength of ceramic composite laminates, a computational framework has been developed that implements classic micromechanics and plate theory to predict the stress state as a function of volume loading and inclusion size within a layer, laminate design, and applied stress. Due to the analytic nature of these formulations, it is then possible to determine the optimal design of the laminate for such properties as fracture toughness and flexural strength at minimal computational costs through the use of a genetic algorithm. This approach is applied to silicon carbide-boron carbide composites, where it is compared to both residual stress characterization and mechanical testing, and shown to consistently predict performance.
2025-04-09 09:00:00
