Advances in continuous carbon fibre reinforced Aluminium matrix composites

Abstract

Space structures require the usage of thermally stable materials with high -specific stiffness and strength. These must operate in harsh space environment with limited degradation to fulfil space requirements and be able to save mass, space and costs. LKR possesses a gas metal infiltration process capable of manufacturing carbon-fibre reinforce Aluminium matrix composites (AluC MMC) with excellent properties but high standard deviations due to an outdated heating/cooling technology and process control. This paper presents the development work conducted in research project SpAACe where the update of the manufacturing process led to significantly higher mechanical properties and reduced scatter.