Carbon/Carbon Composites Produced by Chemical Vapor Deposition

Abstract

Carbon/carbon composites have been produced using chemical vapor deposition for forty–five years. Early composites were made on an empirical basis using multiple lengthy deposition cycles and often had microstructural and thickness variations in the pyrolytic carbon. While thin sections, such as aircraft brake disks, were successfully produced, thick sections were difficult to fabricate. A comparison of the of the various chemical vapor infiltration techniques that have been developed to overcome these limitations is presented. Finally, the research performed over the last decade by Huttiger in Germany, Sohda in Japan, but particularly by the SNECMA(SEP) and LTCS groups in France has provided experimental data that allows a better description of the deposition process and material. This paper will review what is known and what questions remain.