Method for applying an anti-oxidative coating on brake disks of a carbon-containing composite material

A process for protecting against oxidation a brake disk having at least one friction face and made of carbon-containing composite material having residual internal open porosity, said process comprising the steps of:

• masking each friction face of the brake disk to seal and isolate said friction face from outside non-masked surfaces of the disk;
• immersing the brake disk in a bath containing an impregnation composition including at least one substance which forms or is a precursor to an oxidation protection material;
• and
• impregnating the composite material of the brake disk with said impregnation composition by creating a pressure difference between outside the non-masked surfaces of the disk and inside the internal porosity of the disk, while keeping an amount of air inside said internal porosity;
• whereby said impregnation composition is forced to penetrate into the internal porosity of the brake disk through and over a limited depth below the non-masked surfaces without reaching a first portion of the volume of the disk below each friction face in an amount sufficient to adversely affect tribological characteristics of the brake disk, to form an internal protection against oxidation within a second portion of the volume of the disk below surfaces other than the friction faces and not including the first portion below each friction face.