Investigating Synergistic Effect of Double-Sided Solid Particle Erosion on Oxide/Oxide Ceramic Matrix Composites at Elevated Temperature

Abstract This study investigates erosion behavior of oxide/oxide ceramic matrix composites (Ox/Ox CMCs) under varying thermo-mechanical conditions, including erosion-only, erosion-fatigue and erosion-creep. Single and double-sided impacts were made at a temperature of 1200°C, with particle velocity of 200 m/s. Optical microscopy with 3D depth scanning was used to assess the extent of erosion damage, followed by room temperature tension tests to evaluate the remaining strength of eroded specimens. The objective was to assess the combined influence of stress, temperature and velocity on erosion behavior and remaining strength of the Ox/Ox composites. The results showed linear increase in cumulative mass loss for all specimens. Specimens with erosion under stress exhibiting higher erosion rates compared to specimens with erosion only conditions. The combined influence of stress during erosion had a minimal effect on residual strength, as the erosion process itself was the primary driver of material degradation. On the other hand, double-sided impacts distributed damage more uniformly across the material, mitigating the effects of eccentricity and resulting in a slight increase in net-section stress. This suggests that erosion with stress has a limited direct impact on strength degradation and erosion by itself is the predominant factor influencing material degradation in high-temperature erosion conditions.