Fabrication of Carbon-Carbon Composites by Using Carbon Fibers Impregnated with Resin and Their Mechanical Properties

A carbon-carbon (C/C) composite was fabricated in laboratory by means of a simple hot press process using fine pulverized coke and carbonaceous bulk mesophase (BM) as matrix and resin-impregnated, unidirectional long carbon fibers (UD fibers) and cloths as reinforcement. Maximum temperature and pressure in hot press process were carried out at 600°C and 49MPa, respectively. When two types of UD fibers (of UD-1 and UD-2) are used, the maximum strength of primary products is obtained at the BM ratio in matrix 70% and with the Vf value 30% in case with UD-1 and at the BM ratio 80% and with the Vf value 46.4% in case with UD-2, the latter being a little higher. When two types of cloths (of CL-1 and CL-2) are used, the strength is maximum at the Vf value 20% in both cases, which is however much lower than the maximum strength when UD fibers are used. Primary products reinforced by UD-2 and CL-2 lose their strengths through heat treatment. As far as primary products using UD fibers are concerned, the maximum strength marks 119 and 130MPa for UD-1 and UD-2, respectively, which are higher than the strength of the commercial C/C composite.