Effects of cladding on the tensile properties of titanium matrix composites

The effects of monolithic titanium cladding on the tensile properties of fiber-reinforced titanium matrix composites (TMCs) have been studied. The work is motivated by the realization that most TMC components currently under development will be clad with monolithic titanium alloys in order to prevent damage to the fibers during component manufacture and in service. The focus has been on the elastic modulus, the yield strength, and the failure stress and strain. Experiments have been conducted on panels with two different clad thicknesses as well as a panel without cladding. The experimental results have been compared with predictions of models based on an effective (average) fiber volume fraction. The correlations between the experiments and the model predictions indicate that these properties are insensitive to the spatial distribution of fibers.