Deposition of pyrolytic carbon using ethanol as precursor in chemical vapor infiltration

Using ethanol as the precursor of pyrolytic carbon, chemical vapor infiltration of a carbon fiber felt with an initial bulk density of 0.47 g/cm³ was performed at the temperature of 1125°C and the pressure of 20 kPa, resulting in a bulk density of 1.67 g/cm³ after densification of 114 h. Extinction angles from 19.5° to 20.5° for various regions in the densified sample are determined, which correspond to a high-textured carbon, leading to flexure strength of 137 MPa. Analysis of 2D texture distribution suggests that ethanol is a promising carbon source to synthesize carbon-carbon composites with homogeneously high-textured pyrolytic carbon.