Carbon-On-Carbon Manufacturing

Abstract

The presently disclosed technology relates to carbon-on-carbon (C/C) manufacturing techniques and the resulting C/C products. One aspect of the manufacturing techniques disclosed herein utilizes two distinct curing operations that occur at different times and/or using different temperatures. The resulting C/C products are substantially non-porous, even though the curing operation(s) substantially gasify a liquid carbon-entrained filler material that saturates a carbon fabric that makes up the C/C products.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing a carbon-on-carbon (C/C) composite, the method comprising:
 curing a C/C lay-up within a mold under vacuum at a first curing temperature;   releasing the C/C lay-up from the mold; and   curing the C/C lay-up at a second curing temperature responsive to the releasing operation, wherein the second curing temperature is higher than the first curing temperature.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first curing temperature substantially gasifies a carbon-entrained filler within the C/C lay-up. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the second curing temperature substantially bonds carbon powder within the carbon-entrained filler to carbon-fabric within the C/C lay-up. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the releasing operation includes removing a releasing layer that provides a barrier between the C/C lay-up and the mold. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the releasing layer does not undergo substantial chemical changes at the first curing temperature. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 cooling the C/C lay-up prior to the releasing operation and responsive to curing the C/C lay-up at the first curing temperature.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 applying an oxidation-resistant high-temperature coating to the C/C lay-up responsive to curing the C/C lay-up at the second curing temperature.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first curing temperature ranges from about 100° C. to about 160° C. and the second curing temperature ranges from about 200° C. to about 300° C. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a duration of curing the C/C lay-up at the first curing temperature ranges from about 2 hours to about 6 hours and a duration of curing the C/C lay-up at the second curing temperature ranges from about 1 hour to about 3 hours. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 curing the C/C lay-up at a third curing temperature using carbon vapor deposition responsive to curing the C/C lay-up at the second curing temperature, wherein the third curing temperature is higher than the second curing temperature.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the curing of the C/C lay-up at the first curing temperature gasifies greater than 99% of a liquid-component of the C/C lay-up and achieves closed-cell porosity within the C/C lay-up less than 5% of the total C/C lay-up volume. 
     
     
         12 . A carbon-on-carbon (C/C) lay-up comprising:
 one or more layers of carbon fabric, each layer substantially saturated with a volatile carbon-entrained filler;   a releasing layer positioned between the saturated carbon fabric and a mold; and   a breather layer positioned over the saturated carbon fabric, wherein the breather layer receives a vaporized liquid component of the carbon-entrained filler from the C/C lay-up when the C/C lay-up is cured during a first curing operation at a first curing temperature and a second curing operation at a second curing temperature, wherein the second curing temperature is higher than the first curing temperature.   
     
     
         13 . The C/C lay-up of  claim 12 , wherein the first curing temperature substantially gasifies the carbon-entrained filler within the C/C lay-up. 
     
     
         14 . The C/C lay-up of  claim 12 , wherein the second curing temperature substantially bonds carbon powder within the carbon-entrained filler to carbon-fabric within the C/C lay-up. 
     
     
         15 . The C/C lay-up of  claim 12 , wherein the releasing layer does not undergo substantial chemical changes at the first curing temperature. 
     
     
         16 . The C/C lay-up of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a vacuum bag that maintains the C/C lay-up under vacuum during one or both of the first curing operation and the second curing operation.   
     
     
         17 . The C/C lay-up of  claim 12 , wherein the first curing temperature ranges from about 100° C. to about 160° C. and the second curing temperature ranges from about 200° C. to about 300° C. 
     
     
         18 . The C/C lay-up of  claim 12 , wherein a duration of curing the C/C lay-up at the first curing temperature ranges from about 2 hours to about 6 hours and a duration of curing the C/C lay-up at the second curing temperature ranges from about 1 hour to about 3 hours. 
     
     
         19 . The C/C lay-up of  claim 12 , wherein the C/C lay-up is cured at a third curing temperature using carbon vapor deposition responsive to curing the C/C lay-up at the second curing temperature, wherein the third curing temperature is higher than the second curing temperature. 
     
     
         20 . The C/C lay-up of  claim 12 , wherein the curing of the C/C lay-up at the first curing temperature gasifies greater than 99% of a liquid-component of the C/C lay-up and achieves closed-cell porosity within the C/C lay-up less than 5% of the total C/C lay-up volume. 
     
     
         21 . A carbon-on-carbon (C/C) product comprising:
 one or more layers of carbon fabric with voids between carbon fibers of the carbon fabric substantially filled with carbon powder granules remaining from a gasified carbon-entrained filler material, wherein the carbon powder granules are diffusion bonded to the carbon fabric.   
     
     
         22 . The C/C product of  claim 21 , having less than 1% porosity. 
     
     
         23 . The C/C product of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 an oxidation-resistant high-temperature coating.   
     
     
         24 . The C/C product of  claim 21 , wherein the carbon-entrained filler material substantially fills voids within the C/C product created during curing of the C/C product. 
     
     
         25 . The C/C product of  claim 21 , wherein the C/C product is cured during a first curing operation at a first curing temperature and a second curing operation at a second curing temperature, wherein the second curing temperature is higher than the first curing temperature.