Fast Densification Process in Manufacturing Carbon/Carbon Using Vegetable Precursors

ABSTRACT: The carbon/carbon composite manufacturing processes generally use flammable and toxic precursors. In order to make these processes safer, it is interesting to use less toxic and safer precursors to the environment and people. The present study investigates the types of pyrocarbon resulting from composite carbon/carbon densification produced by the technique of Film Boiling Chemical Vapor Infiltration using as carbon precursors: soybean oil, ethanol and hexane, the latter as control. The microstructure produced was analyzed through SEM techniques, PLOM, XRD and Raman. The pyrocarbons observed are Smooth Laminar, Rought Laminar and Regenerative Laminar types. Soybean oil resulted in porous bodies while other precursors resulted in denser bodies. The crystallites made with ethanol and hexane have preferential growth in the c direction, while those made with soybean oil grow preferentially in a direction.