A Monte Carlo model for the tensile behavior of ceramic matrix composites considering Coulomb friction

Coulomb friction was successfully incorporated into Monte Carlo (MC) simulation, and a comprehensive MC model was thereby developed for damage and failure analysis of fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composites (FRCMCs). In this model, in addition to Coulomb friction, thermal residual stress, interfacial debonding toughness, and the stochastic failure of both the matrix and fibers were systematically considered. Based on this MC model, the macroscopic tensile behavior of FRCMCs was accurately predicted, and the detailed microscopic damage processes, including matrix cracking, interfacial debonding and slip, and fiber breakage and pull-out, were explicitly reproduced. Moreover, the distributions of in-situ strength and pull-out length of fibers at the fracture surface were captured, which deviate from the intrinsic fiber strength distribution, indicating that the conventional fracture mirror method may be inaccurate to derive the characteristic distribution parameters of fibers. Owing to the incorporation of Coulomb friction, the effects of temperature and transverse stress on the tensile mechanical behavior of FRCMCs were also analyzed. The results indicate that a proper transverse compressive pre-stress can effectively suppress crack opening and enhance the overall load-bearing capacity by adjusting the interfacial friction. This study demonstrates the flexibility and high-fidelity of the MC model in reproducing both the mechanical behavior and the micro damage processes of FRCMCs, providing a powerful tool for damage analysis and design of FRCMCs.