Ablation resistance of resin matrix composites modified with different MAX-phase materials

Thermal protection system (TPS) is an important requirement for aerospace craft. In this study, novel carbon-phenolic composites with Ti3SiC2 and Ti3AlC2 modifications were prepared, and their ablation behavior was studied. With modification using Ti3AlC2 particles, the linear ablation rate of the composites was reduced by 94% compared with that of conventional carbon-phenolic composites. A coating composed of TiO2 and Al2TiO5 could form during ablation, leading to the substantial mitigation of oxidation. Ti3AlC2 has been proved to have a better modification effect than Ti3SiC2 through comparing the micro-morphologies and linear ablation rate. In addition, an increase in the volume ratio of the resin and Ti3AlC2 particles could further improve the coverage fraction of the formed coating and the ablation resistance. [Display omitted]