Role of Fiber Stitching in Eliminating Transverse Fracture in Cross-Ply Ceramic Composites

A theoretical study of the feasibility of using fiber stitching to prevent transverse matrix cracking in cross‐ply ceramic composites is reported. The prototype problem solved is a curved composite beam subject to pure bending (the C‐specimen), which develops a transverse tensile stress σ 0 acting across its circumferential midplane. Fiber stitches normal to this plane bridge a circumferential matrix crack lying along the midplane of the specimen. Results are presented for the energy release rate of this matrix crack as a function of a nondimensional parameter characterizing the fiber stitches. Sufficiently large values of this parameter ensure the applicability of the classical ACK (Aveston, Cooper and Kelly) limit for a steady‐state matrix crack subject to σ 0 . The results obtained can be used to choose the level of stitching such that transverse matrix cracking will be excluded.