The research of ME Associate Professor Samantha Daly and U-M ME alum Dr. Jared Tracy is being featured on the July 2015 cover of the Journal of Materials Science (JMS). Tracy, who is currently serving as a post-doctoral scholar at Stanford, assessed the feasibility of using the J-integral with full-field deformation data from optical tracking to characterize toughness in ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) for the paper featured.
“CMCs have traits that are desirable for structural, high-temperature engineering applications. The light weight, low thermal expansion, high thermal conductivity, large tensile strength and toughness of a fiber reinforced silicon carbide-silicon (SiC/SiC) composite makes it a prime candidate for gas turbine engine components,” said Daly. “However, toughness in fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) depends on complex interactions between the fibers, coatings and matrix. Constituent properties, residual stresses, interfacial sliding, bridging tractions and microcrack shielding all influence composite toughness, but quantifying the contribution of each mechanism is difficult and does not always account for their mutual influence. A rigorous means to characterize composite toughness is to capture the contribution of individual toughening mechanisms and their interactions. One such approach is through measurement of the energy release rate, and subsequently stress intensity factors, by application of the J-integral.”
While a student at U-M ME, Tracy was a recipient of the Richard and Eleanor Towner Prize for Distinguished Academic Achievement in 2013. The award is bestowed upon an outstanding graduate student (Master’s or Ph.D.) in each degree program.