I claim:
1. A fibrous, monolithic ceramic body consisting essentially of
a plurality of compacted coated fibers, each coated fiber comprising a core fiber coated by a first debonding coat, said core fibers comprised of a first ceramic composition and said first debonding coat comprising a second ceramic composition which is different from said first composition; said first and said second composition defining a plane of weakness comprising an interface between said first coat and said first coat's respective core fiber, wherein said interface is relatively weaker than said core fibers; and said coat and core are thermodynamically compatible.
2. The ceramic body of claim 1, wherein said interface is sufficiently weaker than said core fiber to deflect a crack from normal to the direction of said interface to a direction parallel to said interface.
3. The ceramic body of claim 2, wherein said body has a density of at least about 90% of its theoretical density.
4. The ceramic body of claim 2, wherein said body has a density of at least about 92% of its theoretical density.
5. The ceramic body of claim 3, wherein said first and second compositions are sintered ceramics.
6. The ceramic body of claim 3, wherein said first composition of said core fiber comprises alumina and said second composition of said first coat comprises a member selected from the group consisting of aluminum titanate, zirconia and hafnia.
7. The ceramic body of claim 5, wherein said first coat is thermodynamically stable with respect to its respective core fiber.
8. The ceramic body of claim 7, wherein a thermal expansion coefficient of said first coat differs from that of said core fiber, thereby forming said plane of weakness.
9. A fibrous, monolithic ceramic body consisting essentially of a plurality of compacted coated fibers, each coated fiber comprising a core fiber coated by a first coat, said core fibers comprised of a first ceramic composition and said first coat comprising a second ceramic composition which is different from said first composition; said first and said second composition reacting to form a bonding phase, said bonding phase located at an interface between said core fiber and first coat and said bonding phase is weak relative to said core fiber, thereby forming said plane of weakness, said coat and core being thermodynamically compatible.
10. The ceramic body of claim 7, wherein an elastic modulus of said first coat differs from that of said core fiber, thereby forming said plane of weakness.
11. The ceramic body of claim 7, wherein said core fiber has an outside diameter between about 100 microns and about 1000 microns.
12. The ceramic body of claim 7, wherein said coated fiber further comprises a second coat which overlays said first coat, said second coat having a third composition which differs from that of said first coat.
13. The ceramic body of claim 12, wherein said third composition is selected from the group consisting of sintered ceramics and sintered organometallic polymers.