DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH STRENGTH CARBON FIBER/CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITES

CARBON-CARBON COMPOSITES ARE ATTRACTIVE MATERIALS FOR HIGH TEMPERATURE APPLICATIONS BECAUSE THEY ARE LIGHTWEIGHT AND RETAIN STRENGTH AT HIGH TEMPERATURES. HOWEVER, THESE COMPOSITES BECOME SEVERELY OXIDIZED ABOVE 700 DEG F IN AIR OR AN OXIDIZING ENVIRONMENT. PREVIOUS RESEARCH AT FMI INDICATES THAT CERAMIC MATRICES CAN BE INTRODUCED INTO A FIBROUS PREFORM USING SIMILAR PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY TO CARBON-CARBON. VARIOUS PRE-CERAMIC POLYMERS EXIST WHICH YIELD SILICON CARBIDE UPON PYROLYSIS. SILICON CARBIDE IS OUTSTANDING IN TERMS OF THERMAL SHOCK RESISTANCE WHILE THE OXIDATION RESISTANCE AT THE SPECIFIC TEMPERATURE RANGE (2500 DEG F - 4000 DEG F) IS ADEQUATE. THE PURPOSE OF THE PROPOSED PROGRAM IS TO DEMONSTRATE THE DEGREE OF OXIDATION RESISTANCE ACHIEVED IN A CARBON FIBER/CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITE AT TEMPERATURES UP TO 4000 DEG F FOR USE ON GAS TURBINE COMPONENTS. THIS MATERIAL, BECAUSE OF THE HIGH STRENGTH, LIGHTWEIGHT AND OXIDATION RESISTANCE, COULD FIND A WIDE RANGE OF APPLICATIONS ON ROCKET MOTORS, SPACE VEHICLES, OR FUTURE GAS TURBINE ENGINES.