Analysis of a SiCf/SiC sample under in situ loading by synchrotron X-ray radiation

A composite sample, constituted of a Silicon Carbide (SiC) ceramic matrix reinforced by SiC fibers, was analyzed by phase-contrast synchrotron X-ray computed microtomography at the SYRMEP beamline of the Elettra synchrotron laboratory in Trieste (Italy). Experiments were performed in filtered white beam mode, leading to tomographic images with enhanced contrast and high spatial resolution. Compressive forces on the sample along a direction parallel to its height were applied by an in situ loading apparatus and held constant during scanning, up to the occurrence of failure. Local damage mechanisms at increasing macroscopic stress were investigated.