Preparation of high texture three-dimensional braided carbon/carbon composites by pyrolysis of ethanol and methane

A three-dimensional (3D) carbon/carbon (C/C) composite was prepared using the gaseous mixture of ethanol and methane as the precursor by isothermal chemical vapor infiltration. The preform was infiltrated at 1100 °C with the gas pressure from 2 to 10 kPa. The texture of the infiltrated carbon was studied by polarized-light microscopy and characterized with the aid of the extinction angle. Texture and fracture morphology of the pyrolytic carbon matrix were observed using a scanning electronic microscope. After 150 h infiltration, the average bulk density was up to 1.72±0.02 g cm^-3. 3D C/C composites with high texture pyrolytic carbon matrix were obtained by pyrolysis of ethanol and methane. The average flexure and tensile strengths of the composites are 362 MPa and 116 MPa, respectively.