PSI - Issue 82

Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2026) 000–000

www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia

ScienceDirect

Procedia Structural Integrity 82 (2026) 138–145

© 2026 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSID organizers Abstract Evaluation of constitutive properties and mechanical characterization of Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) is vital in developing design criteria. Ceramic matrix composites obtained by Liquid Silicon Infiltration (LSI) follow a 3-stage manufacturing process. In the first stage, a traditional Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) is manufactured. Then a pyrolysis process is applied to remove the phenolic matrix, and finally the infiltration of silicon is used to obtain the final CMC. High porosity in C/C samples may reduce the compressive strength, while the formation of SiC matrix in CMC can significantly enhance the fracture toughness. Due to the 3-stage manufacturing process, the mechanical properties of the matrix and fibre can change after each stage. Hence, to develop an accurate micromechanical model, it is necessary to know the exact mechanical properties and constitutive properties at each manufacturing stage. The objective of this work is to evaluate how manufacturing-induced changes influence the properties of the final CMC material. Mechanical strength, stiffness, and failure under static conditions are assessed by static tests (tensile, compressive, and three-point bending). These results serve as a baseline for the development of constitutive properties of CFRP, which will be further compared with C/C and C/SiC stages to monitor the effect of carbonization and silicon infiltration on the stiffness and the strength of the final CMC material. Experimental results will provide support for finite element analysis simulations by ensuring predicted precision. © 2026 The Authors. Copy from the contract: Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSID organizers Keywords: CMC; CFRP; C/SiC; LSI 8th International Conference on Structural Integrity and Durability (ICSID2025) Mechanical Characterization of a Ceramic Matrix Composite across its Manufacturing Stages Sana Ullah a, *, Angelo De Fenza b , Mario De Stefano Fumo b , Gennaro Scarselli c , Riccardo Nobile a a University of Salento, Department of Engineering for Innovation, Via per Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy b Italian Aerospace Research Centre CIRA, Via Maiorise, 81043 Capua (CE), Italy c Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +39-344 561 2504 E-mail address: sanaullah.sanaullah@unisalento.it

2452-3216 © 2026 The Authors. Copy from the contract: Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSID organizers

2452-3216 © 2026 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSID organizers 10.1016/j.prostr.2026.04.022