JOINING METHODS FOR CARBON-CARBON STRUCTURES

HIGH TEMPERATURE (2500 DEG F) AIRFRAMES ARE NEEDED FOR HYPERSONIC MISSILES. A CARBON/CARBON COMPOSITE MATERIAL IS ATTRACTIVE FOR THIS APPLICATION. JOINING TECHNIQUES ARE REQUIRED THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO AIRFRAME FABRICATION THAT WILL PERFORM AT HIGH TEMPERATURES. SINCE MOST JOINING WORK TO DATE HAS CENTERED ON LOWER TEMPERATURE JOINING METHODS AND MATERIALS, A RESEARCH EFFORT IS NEEDED TO IDENTIFY AND APPLY NEW AND PROMISING JOINING TECHNIQUES. IN PHASE I LITERATURE AND RESEARCHERS IN CARBON/CARBON COMPOSITE, GRAPHITE AND OTHER MATERIAL JOINING WILL BE SURVEYED AND ASSESSED. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY EXPERIMENTATION WITH SPECIAL SURFACE PREPARATION TECHNIQUES FOLLOWED BY SUITABLE JOINING EXPERIMENTATION. METALLURGICAL EVALUATION WILL BE MADE OF EXPERIMENTAL JOINTS AND RESULTS COMPARED WITH AND WITHOUT SPECIAL SURFACE PREPARATION. A REPORT WILL DESCRIBE THE ASSESSMENTS MADE AND EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS. A PHASE II PROGRAM WILL BE DESCRIBED WHICH WILL DETAIL PROMISING JOINING METHODS TO BE USED FOR DESIGN, FABRICATION, AND TESTING OF REPRESENTATIVE STRUCTURAL JOINTS.