Chemical vapor infiltration of carbon fiber bundles

摘要

Chemical vapor infiltration in carbon fiber bundles is studied under isothermal conditions over the temperature range 1000--1090 C at a nominal pressure of 300 Torr. Pyrolytic decomposition of methane is used in the infiltration experiments with carbon weight gain data obtained continuously from thermogravimetric analysis. The sensitivity of the infiltration dynamics to initial yarn porosity and to spatial variations in fiber positioning are explored. Results indicate that small changes in initial porosity can have significant impact on the weight gain above the solid phase percolation threshold.