RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ON ADVANCED GRAPHITE MATERIALS VOLUME XII. DEVELOPMENT OF AN IMPROVED LARGE DIAMETER FINE GRAIN GRAPHITE FOR AEROSPACE APPLICATIONS

摘要

This report describes a method for producing graphite using a pressure curing process which was partially developed prior to initiation of this contract. The process is based on a thermosetting binder system and is employed to develop a reasonably uniform fine-grain graphite. Also pre¬sented are the contract supported investigations of the process variables associated with attempting to reach optimum properties and with scaling up to 30-inch diameter sizes. This graphite, designated "Grade RVA", is nominally characterized by a bulk density of 1. 85 g/cc, room temperature with and against grain flexural strengths of 3700 and 2900 lbs/in2 respectively, with and against grain elastic moduli of 1.7 and 1.3 million lbs/in2 re¬spectively, and variations in these properties of only one-half to one-third of those normally associated with quality industrial graphites such as grade ATJ. Future activities to further improve quality are also indicated.