Fast densified carbon-carbon composites and fabrication method
OwnerEdward John Andrew Popeinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A densified carbon-carbon composite material exhibits superior strength and toughness, relative to low density carbon-carbon composites. The process densification of a set of carbon fibers with a non-fibrous carbon material, resulting in a precursor carbon matrix, stabilizing the precursor carbon matrix, resulting in a stabilized carbon matrix, and densifying the stabilized carbon matrix using a field assisted sintering technology (FAST) process, resulting in the high density carbon-carbon composite material.
Claims18
A method for making a carbon matrix composite, the method comprising:
- a) impregnating a set of carbon fibers with a flowable carbon-forming resin material, resulting in a precursor matrix;
- b) stabilizing the precursor matrix, resulting in a stabilized matrix;
- c) densifying the stabilized matrix using a field assisted sintering technology (FAST) process, resulting in a densified carbon matrix composite material with a bulk density between 1.7 and 2.4 g/cc.
A method for making a carbon matrix composite, the method comprising:
- a) densifying porous structures by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI).
- b) densifying the stabilized matrix using a field assisted sintering technology (FAST) process, resulting in a densified carbon matrix composite material with a bulk density between 1.7 and 2.4 g/cc.
A method for making a carbon matrix composite, the method comprising:
- a) a porous preform is densified by heating while immersed in a precursor liquid. Heating is achieved by passing a current through the preform or by an induction coil immersed in the liquid. This process demonstrates the ability to rapidly densify carbon-matrix composites by an alternative method than PIP with phenolic resin and CVI with gaseous carbon precursors.
- b) densifying the stabilized matrix using a field assisted sintering technology (FAST) process, resulting in a densified carbon matrix composite material with a bulk density between 1.7 and 2.4 g/cc.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.