Carbon-On-Carbon Manufacturing
AssigneeFirestar Engineering, LLC
InventorsGregory S. Mungas, Larry Buchanan, Jose T. Banzon, JR.
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Abstract
The presently disclosed technology relates to carbon-on-carbon (C/C) manufacturing techniques and the resulting C/C products. One aspect of the manufacturing techniques disclosed herein utilizes two distinct curing operations that occur at different times and/or using different temperatures. The resulting C/C products are substantially non-porous, even though the curing operation(s) substantially gasify a liquid carbon-entrained filler material that saturates a carbon fabric that makes up the C/C products.
Claims20
A method of manufacturing a carbon-on-carbon (C/C) composite, the method comprising:
- curing a C/C lay-up within a mold under vacuum at a first curing temperature;
- releasing the C/C lay-up from the mold;
- and
- curing the C/C lay-up at a second curing temperature responsive to the releasing operation, wherein the second curing temperature is higher than the first curing temperature.
A carbon-on-carbon (C/C) lay-up comprising:
- one or more layers of carbon fabric, each layer substantially saturated with a volatile carbon-entrained filler;
- a releasing layer positioned between the saturated carbon fabric and a mold;
- and
- a breather layer positioned over the saturated carbon fabric, wherein the breather layer receives a vaporized liquid component of the carbon-entrained filler from the C/C lay-up when the C/C lay-up is cured during a first curing operation at a first curing temperature and a second curing operation at a second curing temperature, wherein the second curing temperature is higher than the first curing temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.