Volume 5 provides material characterization@ test methodology@ and data development guidelines adaptable to a wide variety of needs for ceramic matrix composite materials. It includes methods for obtaining data for constituent materials (i.e.@ fibers@ matrices)@ combined material forms (e.g.@ prepreg)@ and cured lamina and laminates. Information is provided on the range of test types@ environmental conditioning methods@ and data handling techniques commonly used during composite structure development programs. Although this Volume includes guidelines for testing at some higher structural complexity levels (i.e.@ laminates@ joints@ etc.)@ the principal focus is material-level property characterization. Particular emphasis is given to statistical methods typically used for the determination of property values@ as well as the specific requirements for data published in the handbook. It must be emphasized that this handbook differentiates between material basis values (material allowables) and design values. Material basis values@ being a statistical lower-bound estimate of a property of a composite material system@ are the focus of this handbook. See Figure 1.5. Design values which directly satisfy regulatory requirements@ while often rooted in material basis values@ are application dependent@ and must account for many additional considerations that can affect the strength and stiffness of the structure. Also@ when establishing design values for a specific application there may be additional certification or procurement agency requirements that go beyond CMH-17 (for guidance see CMH-17 Volume 3@ Chapter 3). While the process of establishing structural design values for an application can begin with the data contained in CMH-17@ most applications require collection of additional data@ especially data from the laminate or higher structural complexity levels. Also@ the ability to manufacture material equivalent to that from which the data were obtained typically must be proven to the certifying or procuring agency@ which usually involves limited testing and data comparison. General guidelines for such material/process equivalence evaluation are presented in Volume 1; however@ many of the details of such an evaluation remain at the discretion of the certifying or procuring agency. Most certifying and procuring agencies prefer@ and some may require@ that composite material systems used in critical applications be characterized in accordance with Volume 5 testing and data analysis guidelines. When the guidelines or data requirements of CMH-17 cannot be followed@ the certifying or procuring agency should be contacted to determine data requirements and other documentation which may be necessary to justify data values proposed or used during structure development. The four parts of CMH-17@ Volume 5@ serve as a general Reference source for technical information on ceramic matrix composites@ including: Part A: Introduction and Guidelines This part contains guidelines for determining the properties of composite material systems@ their constituents@ and generic structural elements@ including test planning@ test matrices@ sampling@ conditioning@ test procedure selection@ data reporting@ data reduction@ statistical analysis@ and other related topics. Part A contains guidelines for general development of material characterization data as well as specific requirements for publication of material data in CMH-17. It must be emphasized that this handbook differentiates between material basis values (material allowables) and design allowable values. Material basis values@ being an intrinsic property of a composite material system@ are the focus of this handbook. Design allowable values@ while often rooted in material basis values@ are application dependent@ and include specific additional considerations that may further affect the strength or stiffness of the structure. Also@ when establishing application design values there may be additional certification or procurement agency requirements that go beyond CMH-17. Part B: Design and Supportability Part B provides methodologies and lessons learned for the design@ manufacture@ analysis@ and supportability of composite structures@ and for utilization of the material data provided in Part D consistent with the guidance provided in Part A. Topics discussed in Part B include materials and processing@ quality control@ design and analysis@ joints@ reliability@ thick composites@ and supportability. Part C:Testing Part C addresses issues related to test methods and requirements for submission of data to CMH-17. Part D: Data Requirements and Data Sets Part D contains statistically-based data meeting specific CMH-17 population sampling and data documentation requirements@ covering constituents and material systems of general interest. Data published in Part D are under the jurisdiction of the Data Review Working Group and are approved by the overall Coordination Group (The CMH-17 Coordination Group and Working Groups are discussed in Section 1.3). New material systems will be included and additional material data for existing systems will be added as approved data becomes available. The material properties in Part D are defined over a range of potential use conditions@ focusing@ when possible@ on the upper and lower material environmental limits so that application-specific environments do not limit use of the data. Special attention is given to the statistical treatment and analysis of data. Data at intermediate environmental conditions@ when available@ provide additional definition of the relation between material response and environment. While the process of establishing structural design values for specific applications can begin with the data contained in Part D@ most applications require collection of additional data@ especially if there are requirements for data from the laminate or higher structural complexity levels. Also@ the ability to manufacture material equivalent to that from which the data in Part D were obtained typically must be proven to the procuring or certifying agency@ which usually involves limited testing and data comparison. General guidelines for such material/process equivalence evaluation are presented in Part A; however@ many of the details of such an evaluation remain at the discretion of the procuring or certifying agency.