Carbon Matrices
- Some produced from chemical vapr deposition (CVD)
- Using several layers of carbon fabric as the base material
- Methane is blown into fabric under controlled cracking conditions.
- Carbon plates out like a metal in the analogous metal vapor deposition process.
- The deposition fills the voids in the cloth to create the finished structured
- Must be careful that outer layers fill at the same rate as the inner layers.
- Limited to structures no thicker than 5mm (3/16 in)
Insulative uses of carbon matrix materials
- Similar to phenolics except that a higher more uniform and predictable thermal insulation.
- Best in small rockets (nozzle diameter less than 12”) where fewer safety factors are used as in larger rockets.
- Costs of carbon matrix nozzles are 5 times that of phenolics
- Under consideration as skin of space plane where thermal stability is essential as is good toughness and thermal shock resistance
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