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Materials and Electrochemical Research (Mer) Corporation

Witold Kowbel

Raouf Loutfy

James C Withers

Calvin Bruce

Ranji Vaidyanathan

This innovation provides for a revolutionary advancement in the area of very thick and very high thermal conductivity carbon-carbon (C&#x2014;C) composites for both commercial and military. Novel, surface treated to achieve desired chemistry, exhibiting no agglomeration, carbon-based fillers are used enabling stable slurries up to 45 wt % solids to be used in the composite pre-pregging for 1-D and 2-D, 2-5 D and 3-D preforms infiltration. The need for carbonization is eliminated. No closed porosity C&#x2014;C composites are produced. Up to 12&#x2033; thick C&#x2014;C composites with no density gradient and thermal conductivity in excess of 650 W/mK were fabricated via chemically induced graphitization.

Process far revolutionary, very thick and very high thermal conductivity carbon-carbon composites

A carbon composite structure, for example, an automotive engine piston, is made by preparing a matrix including of a mixture of non crystalline carbon particulate soluble in an organic solvent and a binder that has a liquid phase. The non crystalline particulate also contains residual carbon hydrogen bonding. An uncured structure is formed by combining the matrix mixture, for example, carbon fibers such as graphite dispersed in the mixture and/or graphite cloth imbedded in the mixture. The uncured structure is cured by pyrolyzing it in an inert atmosphere such as argon. Advantageously, the graphite reinforcement material is whiskered prior to combining it with the matrix mixture by a novel method involving passing a gaseous metal suboxide over the graphite surface.

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Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Witold Kowbel