Abstract
The tension behavior of Nicalon/CAS glass-ceramic matrix composites was investigated. Infrared (IR) thermography was employed for two different types of $Nicalon^{TM}/CAS$ composites, i.e., cross-ply and unidirectional specimens. During tensile testing, an IR camera was used for in-situ monitoring of progressive damages of $Nicalon^{TM}/CAS$ samples. The IR camera provided the temperature changes during tensile testing. Microstructural characterization using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed to investigate the fracture mechanisms of $Nicalon^{TM}/CAS$ composites. In this investigation, the thermographic NDE technique was used to facilitate a better understanding of the fracture mechanisms of the $Nicalon^{TM}/CAS$ composites during tensile testing.