Abstract
Ultra high-temperature ceramic matrix composites (UHTCMCs) based on carbon fibre (Cf) have been shown to offer excellent temperature stability exceeding 2000◦ C in highly corrosive environments, which are prime requirements for various aerospace applications. In C3 Harme, a recent European Union-funded Horizon 2020 project, an experimental campaign has been carried out to assess and screen a range of UHTCMC materials for near-zero ablation rocket nozzle and thermal protection systems. Samples with ZrB2-impregnated pyrolytic carbon matrices and 2.5D woven continuous carbon fibre preforms, produced by slurry impregnation and radio frequency aided chemical vapour infiltration (RF-CVI), were tested using the vertical free jet facility at DLR, Cologne using solid propellants. When compared to standard CVI, RFCVI accelerates pyrolytic carbon densification, resulting in a much shorter manufacturing time. The samples survived the initial thermal shock and subsequent surface temperatures of >2000◦ C with a minimal ablation rate. Post-test characterisation revealed a correlation between surface temperature and an accelerated catalytic activity, which lead to an understanding of the crucial role of preserving the bulk of the sample.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 24 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Journal of Composites Science |
Volume | 6 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 11 Jan 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 “Research and innovation programme” under grant agreement No 685594 (C3HARME). The authors would like to thank all the consortium partners who were involved.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Keywords
- Ablation
- Carbon
- CVI
- Diborides
- DLR
- Propulsion
- RFCVI
- UHTC
- UHTCMC
- VMK
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ceramics and Composites
- Engineering (miscellaneous)