Thermal Characterization of Carbon-Carbon Composites

Thermal properties of materials such as specific heat, thermal diffusivity, and thermal conductivity are very important in the engineering design process and analysis of aerospace vehicles as well as space systems. These properties are also important in power generation, transportation, and energy storage devices including fuel cells and solar cells. Thermal conductivity plays a critical role in the performance of materials in high temperature applications. Thermal conductivity is the property that determines the working temperature levels of the material, and it is an important parameter in problems involving heat transfer and thermal structures. The objective of this research is to develop thermal properties data base for carbon-carbon and graphitized carbon-carbon composite materials. The carbon-carbon composites tested were produced by the Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) process using T300 2-D carbon fabric and Primaset PT-30 cyanate ester. The graphitized carbon-carbon composite was heat treated to 2500°C. The flash method was used to measure the thermal diffusivity of the materials; this method is based on America Society for Testing and Materials, ASTM E1461 standard. In addition, the differential scanning calorimeter was used in accordance with the ASTM E1269 standard to determine the specific heat. The thermal conductivity was determined using the measured values of their thermal diffusivity, specific heat, and the density of the materials.