Integrative improvement on thermophysical properties and ablation resistance of laminated carbon/carbon composites modified by in situ grown HfC nanowires onto carbon fiber cloths

Abstract HfC nanowires modified carbon fiber cloth laminated carbon/carbon (HfCnw-C/C) composites were fabricated by in situ growth of HfC nanowires on carbon cloths via catalytic CVD, followed with lamination of the cloths and densification by pyrolytic carbon (PyC). Morphologies, thermal conductivity, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and ablation resistance of the composites were investigated. Due to the loading of HfC nanowires, the matrix PyC with low texture was obtained; the thermal conductivity of the composites in Z direction was enhanced from 100℃ to 2500℃; CTE along X-Y direction also decreased in the range of 2060 ℃ – 2500 ℃, which reaches the maximum of 24% at 2500℃. Moreover, the 20s-ablation-resistance of HfCnw-C/C composites exhibits mass and linear ablation rates of 5.3 mg/s and 21.0 μm/s, which are 40% and 37% lower than those of pure C/C composites, respectively. Our work shows laminated HfCnw-C/C composites are a promising candidate for high-temperature applications.