Re: Carbon-carbon is...?

From: John Perry (jp_at_no.spam.retro.com)
Date: 12/27/04 

To: sci-space-tech@moderators.isc.org
Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2004 02:55:04 -0500

Len Lekx wrote:

> Just out of curiosity...
>
> What is the carbon-carbon heat shielding on the leading edges and
> nose of the Shuttle composed of? I'm assuming that part of it is a
> grahpite-fiber cloth material, but is it embedded in a ceramic
> material, or a high-temperature epoxy?

Neither. It's embedded in a pure carbon matrix, typically by weaving (or
otherwise shaping) the fibers into a form, then impregnating the form with
a liquid containing a large percentage of carbon -- such as furfuryl
alcohol. This is then heated to very high temperature in a vacuum, or at
least with no oxygen around. The liquid decomposes, leaving only the
carbon as the hard supporting matrix for the fibers.

I imagine there are other ways of doing it, too, but this is how the shuttle
leading edges were done. 

-- 
j point e point perry at 
cox point net

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