Structure of 2-D carbon/carbon composites and its dependence on processing

Carbon fibre reinforced carbon (C/C) composites are advanced materials which exhibit good performance in high temperature inert environments. These materials are generally produced from carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRP) by carbonisation and a long series of densification treatments using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) or polymer impregnation. The carbonisation of CFRP results in a highly porous structure with low strength and stiffness so that the aim of the densification is to fill the voids to improve mechanical properties. It is however known that an understanding of void structure in the composites and its relation to raw materials, processing conditions and mechanical properties is important. [Continues.]