Carbon carbon is one many many exotic
composite carbon materials.
Carbon carbon composites are manufactured from continuous
carbon fibers
woven in a two or three dimensional pattern. The fibers are then impregnated with a polymeric
resin. After the component has been shaped and cured the matrix is
pyrolysed by heating in an
inert atmosphere. This converts the matrix to carbon
chain molecules which are
densified by further heat treatments. The resulting composite consists of the original carbon fibres in a carbon matrix.
Carbon carbon composites have low density, high strength and modulus. These properties are retained to temperatures above 2000 degrees centigrade, making it an excellent ablative. Creep resistance and toughness are also high, and the high thermal conductivity and low thermal expansion coefficient provide thermal shock resistance.
Typical applications include braking materials in aircraft and high performance cars, ablative shields for aerospace vehicles such as the nose cap and wing leading edges of the Space Shuttle, and reentry vehicles for ballistic missiles.