Carbon-carbon composite preform made with carbon fiber and pitch binder

摘要

Process for producing carbon-carbon composite preform, by: providing short carbon fiber segments or short carbon fiber precursor segments; providing pitch in particulate form; combining blend comprising the fiber segments and pitch particles in a mold; subjecting the resulting mixture of fibers and pitch in the mold to an elevated pressure ranging at a temperature above the melting/softening point of the pitch to create an uncarbonized preform; cooling the preform to below its softening point and removing it from the mold; placing the preform in a constraint fixture; and carbonizing the combined components in the constraint fixture at an elevated temperature for a period of time of sufficient to provide a preform having a density in the range 0.8-1.6 grams per cubic centimeter.