Marina FRADIN, Félix BAN, Manikanda Priya PRAKASAN, Tobias SCHNEIDER

DOI Number: N/A

Conference number: HiSST-2025-006

Ceramic Matrix Composites, especially Carbon/Carbon composites, play a crucial role in the development of next-generation supersonic and hypersonic vehicles for structural applications. The current study, involving a collaboration between ArianeGroup GmbH and MBDA France, evaluates the performance of CARBOTEX® material fabricated using two types of ex-PAN carbon fibers (A & B), featuring initial similar properties. The examination considered the composites’ behavior from manufacturing to performance in ramjet environments, focusing on permeability and mechanical properties. The investigation revealed that while permeability, assessed through the Darcy coefficient, remained fairly consistent between the two composites (CMC-A and CMC-B) in both standard and ramjet environments, mechanical properties displayed significant differences. The composite CMC-B, made from fiber B, exhibited superior tensile strength, ultimate elongation, and reduced property dispersion. Physico-chemical microscale analyses indicated that the rough surface and deep grooves on fiber B enhanced mechanical adherence with the pyrocarbon matrix, whereas fiber A’s smoother surface and sizing residues led to a stronger chemical bonding. Consequently, composites from fiber B had fewer manufacturing defects and greater reliability. The findings underscore the importance of the fiber/matrix interface and surface conditions in determining composite performance. Surface roughness, sizing composition, and residue presence significantly influenced handling, preform integrity, and mechanical properties, reinforcing the need for comprehensive characterizing methods such as XPS, Raman spectrometry, and TEM, beyond manufacturers’ elemental data. This study illustrates that even similar carbon fibers can yield significantly different composite properties, necessitating thorough analysis tailored to specific application needs.

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In Categories: 1.Events, 1.HiSST 2025, Materials and Structures for vehicle and all subsystems
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