PYROLYTIC CARBON-CARBON MATERIALS

Design and technological aspects of carbon-carbon composite constructions are discussed. Important considerations include the geometry and packing density of the woven structure as well as the conventional pyrolysis parameters of temperature, pressure and gas flow rate. A number of approaches have been tried which depend on achieving a temperature gradient within the weave which reduces the tendency for excessive surface deposition. This paper deals with the effect of the weave geometry on the infiltration process and structure of the resulting composite. Certain geometries present more restricted approaches to interior voids, while others do not permit the achievement of steep temperature gradients. These difficulties are increased with increasing specimen size, but may be overcome to some extent by variations in processing parameters.