Oxidation kinetics and mechanisms of carbon/carbon composites and their components in water vapour at high temperatures

Thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy were used to study the oxidation kinetics of four-direction carbon/carbon composites and their components (fibres and matrices) in a H₂O-Ar atmosphere at high temperatures. The oxidation processes were restricted to reaction-limited oxidation. The rate of mass loss was estimated for the four-direction carbon/carbon composites and their components at high temperature. The pressure exponent for the reaction of the carbon/carbon composites with H₂O was 0.59, and the pre-exponential factor and activation energy for the reactions of H₂O with the carbon/carbon composites, carbon fibres and matrices were determined.