Flexural destructive process of unidirectional carbon/carbon composites reinforced with in situ grown carbon nanofibers

Unidirectional carbon/carbon（C/C） composites modified with in situ grown carbon nanofibers（CNFs） were prepared by catalysis chemical vapor deposition. The effect of in situ grown CNFs on the flexural properties of the C/C composites was investigated by detailed analyses of destructive process. The results show that there is a sharp increase in the flexural load-displacement curve in the axial direction of the CNF-C/C composites, followed by a serrated yielding phenomenon similar to the plastic materials. The failure mode of the C/C composites modified with in situ grown CNFs is changed from the pull-out of single fiber to the breaking of fiber bundles. The existence of interfacial layer composed by middle-textured pyrocarbon, CNFs and high-textured pyrocarbon can block the crack propagation and change the propagation direction of the main crack, which leads to the higher flexural strength and modulus of C/C composites.

The effect of modification of matrix on densification efficiency of pitch based carbon composites

Using coal tar pitch as a matrix precursor to prepare carbon materials is widelyused by impregnation/carbonization processing technology.Four different grades of coaltar pitch and a natural pitch were characterized in terms of carbon yield, density, viscosity,and fractionation with solvents, as well as by thermal analysis methods.The suitability ofthese commercially available matrices for densification of 3 dimensional carbon-carboncomposites was examined.The theoretical results compared with experimental results.The highest density after impregnation was obtained using one of the coal tar pitches.Thepredicted results are in reasonable agreement with experiment data.The significance ofthis research is that a special heat treatment regime was conducted.The effects of modificationtemperature on the densification efficiency of composites were investigated andthen structure and characteristics of the composites were determined by scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD).

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON PEK -C MODIFIED EPOXIES AND THE CARBON FIBER COMPOSITES FOR AEROSPACE APPLICATION

The morphological structure of various epoxies toughened with a special amorphous thermoplastic PEK-C and their carbon fiber composites were studied by using SEM. For both cases, phase separation and inversion took place to form fine epoxy-rich globules dispersing in the PEK-C matrix, in which the epoxy-rich phase had the absolutely higher volume fraction. The phase structure and the interfacial properties were also studied by means of FTIR, DSC, and DMTA as well. An accompanying mechanical determination revealed that an improved toughness was achieved both in the blend casts and in the carbon fiber composites. A composite structural model was hence suggested.

Yolk-shell Si/C composites with multiple Si nanoparticles encapsulated into double carbon shells as lithium-ion battery anodes

The conceptual design of yolk-shell structured Si/C composites is considered to be an effective way to improve the recyclability and conductivity of Si-based anode materials. Herein, a new type of yolk-shell structured Si/C composite (denoted as TSC-PDA-B) has been intelligently designed by rational engineering and precise control. In the novel structure, the multiple Si nanoparticles with small size are successfully encapsulated into the porous carbon shells with double layers benefiting from the strong etching effect of HF. The TSC-PDA-B product prepared is evaluated as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The TSC-PDA-B product exhibits an excellent lithium storage performance with a high initial capacity of 2108 mAh g^-1 at a current density of 100 mA g^-1 and superior cycling performance of 1113 mAh g^-1 over 200 cycles. The enhancement of lithium storage performance may be attributed to the construction of hybrid structure including small Si nanoparticles, high surface area, and double carbon shells, which can not only increase electrical conductiv让y and intimate electrical contact with Si nanoparticles, but also provide built-in buffer voids for Si nanoparticles to expand freely without damaging the carbon layer. The present findings can provide some scientific insights into the design and the application of advanced Si-based anode materials in energy storage fields.

Effects of Preform and Pyrolytic Carbon Structure on Thermophysical Properties of 2D Carbon／Carbon Composites

Four kinds of carbon/carbon (C/C) composites, including the needled carbon fiber felt/the pyrolytic carbon (two different pyrolytic carbon microstructures), the chopped carbon fiber/the resin + pyrolytic carbon (PyrC), and the carbon cloth/PyrC, named as the composites 1#, 4#, 2#, and 3#, are prepared respectively. Effects of the preform and pyrolytic carbon structure on the thermophysical properties of 2D C/C composites are studied. The C/C composites possess low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). In a range of some temperatures, the negative expansion emerges in x-y direction for four C/C composites. From 0 to 900℃, the CTE is small and almost linear with the temperatures. The C/C composites have high thermal conductivities (TCs). As a function of temperature, TCs of the C/C composites are varied with the structures of preform and pyrc as well as the direction of heat transfer. In x-y and z direction, TCs differ greatly and that in x-y direction (25.6-174 W/m·K) is several times larger than that in z direction(3.5-50 W/m·K).

Effects of Carbon Nanotubes by Electrophoretic Deposition on Interlaminar Properties of Two Dimensional Carbon/carbon Composites

Carbon nanotubes（CNTs） were deposited uniformly on carbon cloth by electrophoretic deposition（EPD）. Thereafter, CNT-doped clothes were stacked and densified by pyrocarbon via chemical vapor infiltration to fabricate two-dimensional（2 D） carbon/carbon（C/C） composites. Effects of EPD CNTs on interlaminar shear performance and mode Ⅱ interlaminar fracture toughness（GⅡc） of 2 D C/C composites were investigated. Results showed that EPD CNTs were uniformly covered on carbon fibers, acting as a porous coating. Such a CNT coating can obviously enhance the interlaminar shear strength and GⅡc of 2 D C/C composites. With increaing EPD CNTs, the interlaminar shear strength and GⅡc of 2 D C/C composites increase greatly and then decrease, both of which run up to their maximum values, i e, 13.6 MPa and 436.0 J·m-2, when the content of EPD CNTs is 0.54 wt%, 2.27 and 1.45 times of the baseline. Such improvements in interlaminar performance of 2 D C/C composites are mainly beneficial from their increased cohesion of interlaminar matrix, which is caused not only by the direct reinforcing effect of EPD CNT network but also by the capacity of EPD CNTs to refine pyrocarbon matrix and induce multilayered microstructures that greatly increase the crack propagation resistance through ＂crack-blocking and-deflecting mechanisms＂.

Thermal conductivity and bending strength of SiC composites reinforced by pitch-based carbon fibers

In this work,pitch-based carbon fibers were utilized to reinforce silicon carbide(SiC)composites via reaction melting infiltration(RMI)method by controlling the reaction temperature and resin carbon content.Thermal conductivities and bending strengths of composites obtained under different preparation conditions were characterized by various analytical methods.Results showed the formation of SiC whiskers(SiC_(w))during RMI process according to vapor–solid(VS)mechanism.SiC_(w) played an important role in toughening the C_(pf)/SiC composites due to crack bridging,crack deflection,and SiC_(w) pull-out.Increase in reaction temperature during RMI process led to an initial increase in thermal conductivity along in-plane and thickness directions of composites,followed by a decline.At reaction temperature of 1600℃,thermal conductivities along the in-plane and thickness directions were estimated to be 203.00 and 39.59 W/(m×K),respectively.Under these conditions,bending strength was recorded as 186.15±3.95 MPa.Increase in resin carbon content before RMI process led to the generation of more SiC matrix.Thermal conductivities along in-plane and thickness directions remained stable with desirable values of 175.79 and 38.86 W/(m×K),respectively.By comparison,optimal bending strength improved to 244.62±3.07 MPa.In sum,these findings look promising for future application of pitch-based carbon fibers for reinforcement of SiC ceramic composites.

Enhanced wetting and properties of carbon/carbon-Cu composites with Cr_3C_2 coatings by Cr-solution immersion method

A facile ammonium-dichromate solution immersion method was introduced to synthesize the copperwettable Cr3C2 coating on and inside the carbon-carbon （C/C） preform. The formation mechanism and the microstructures of the Cr3C2 coatings were studied. The contact angle between molten copper and the C/C decreased from 140°to 60°, demonstrating the significant improvement in the wettability. The Cr3C2- coated C/C-Cu composite with only 4.2% porosity and 3.69 gcm^-3 density was manufactured through copper infiltration. As a result, the thermal and electrical conductivity of the modified C/C-Cu increased significantly due to the infiltrated copper. Also the mechanical properties of the composites including both the flexural and compressive strengths were enhanced by over 100%. The modified C/C-Cu composite exhibited lower friction coefficients and wear rates for different load levels than those of the commercial C/Cu composite. These results demonstrate the potential of the modified C/C-Cu material for use in electrical contacts.

Oxidation behaviors of carbon fiber reinforced multilayer SiC–Si_(3)N_(4) matrix composites

Oxidation behaviors of carbon fiber reinforced SiC matrix composites(C/SiC)are one of the most noteworthy properties.For C/SiC,the oxidation behavior was controlled by matrix microcracks caused by the mismatch of coefficients of thermal expansion(CTEs)and elastic modulus between carbon fiber and SiC matrix.In order to improve the oxidation resistance,multilayer SiC–Si_(3)N_(4) matrices were fabricated by chemical vapor infiltration(CVI)to alleviate the above two kinds of mismatch and change the local stress distribution.For the oxidation of C/SiC with multilayer matrices,matrix microcracks would be deflected at the transition layer between different layers of multilayer SiC–Si_(3)N_(4) matrix to lengthen the oxygen diffusion channels,thereby improving the oxidation resistance of C/SiC,especially at 800 and 1000℃.The strength retention ratio was increased from 61.9%(C/SiC–SiC/SiC)to 75.7%(C/SiC–Si_(3)N_(4)/SiC/SiC)and 67.8%(C/SiC–SiC/Si_(3)N_(4)/SiC)after oxidation at 800℃for 10 h.

Animal Experiment of Viscose Carbon Fiber Based C/C Composites Applied in Bone Fracture Intramedullary Fixation

The animal experiment of viscose carbon fiber based C/C composites applied in bone defection intramedullary fixation was carried out in New Zealand white rabbits.The histological observation on the 100th day after surgical operation indicated that the experimental animals recovered well and the bone defect area was reconstructed by new bone trabecula.Immunohistochemical observation of leukocyte common antigen and macrophage suggested that intramedullary fixation materials did not induct any chronic toxicity reactions such as inflammatory reactions,macrophage reactions and formation of granulation tissue.The tissue compatibility of this material was excellent.Meanwhile,the impurity element species and the biological toxic element content of viscose fiber based C/C composites were determined by atomic fluorescence analyzer and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry.The results reveal that there are few biological toxic elements in the viscose fiber based C/C composites and it can satisfy the constituent demands of surgical implants.

Densification and microstructure of carbon/carbon composites prepared by chemical vapor infiltration using ethanol as precursor

Chemical vapor infiltration of carbon fiber felts with uniform initial bulk density of 0.47 g·cm-3 was investigated at the ethanol partial pressures of 5-20 kPa,as well as the temperatures of 1050,1100,1150 and 1200°C.Ethanol,diluted by nitrogen,was employed as the precursor of pyrolytic carbon.Polarized light microscopy(PLM),scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were adopted to study the texture of pyrolytic carbon deposited at various temperatures.A change from medium-to high-textured pyrolytic carbon was observed in the sample infiltrated at 1050°C.Whereas,homogeneous high-textured pyrolytic carbons were deposited at the temperatures of 1100,1150 and 1200°C.Extinction angles of 19°-21° were determined for different regions in the samples densified at the temperatures ranging from 1100 to 1200°C.Scanning electron microscopy of the fracture surface after bending test indicated that the prepared carbon/carbon composite samples exhibited a pseudo-plastic fracture behavior.In addition,fracture behavior of the carbon/carbon samples was obviously effected by their infiltration temperature.The fracture mode of C/C composites was transformed from shearing failure to tensile breakage with increasing infiltration temperature. Results of this study show that ethanol is a promising carbon source to synthesize carbon/carbon composites with homogeneously high-textured pyrolytic carbon over a wide range of temperatures(from 1100 to 1200°C).

Facile preparation of a SiC@SiO_(2)nanowire-toughened ZrB_(2)-SiC/SiC bilayer coating with good interfacial bonding,high toughness,and excellent cyclic ablation resistance on C/CA composites

Preparing antioxidant coatings to address the inherent oxidation sensitivity of carbon fiber-reinforced carbon aerogel(C/CA)composites is a feasible way to promote their application in oxidizing environments as thermal insulation materials.However,preparing the coatings with excellent oxidation and ablation resistance while avoiding evident damage to the C/CA substrate still remains a challenge.Herein,a SiC@SiO_(2)nanowire-toughened ZrB2–SiC/SiC bilayer coating with a large thickness of 500μm was prepared on C/CA using a one-step low-temperature reaction sintering method,which simultaneously formed a sintered outer layer with even-distributed nanowires and a siliconized gradient inner layer.By courtesy of the synergic thermal response of the layers and the crack deflection induced by the nanowires,the resulting coating has moderate residual compressive stress of 0.08–1.22 GPa in the interface,high interfacial bonding strength of 6.02 MPa,and good fracture toughness of 4.36 MPa·m^(1/2).Benefited from the optimum components and improved structure,the coating shows excellent cyclic ablation resistance with linear ablation rates of 0.1μm/s at 1650℃for 1500 s(300 s×5 cycles)and 0.4μm/s at 1850℃for 900 s(300 s×3 cycles).The one-step preparation strategy contributes to little damage to the substrate,thus showing the well-preserved mechanical and thermal insulation properties.

Carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of carbonate cements of different phases in terrigenous siliciclastic reservoirs and significance for their origin:A case study from sandstones of the Triassic Yanchang Formation,southwestern Ordos Basin,China

Early carbonate cements in the Yanchang Formation sandstones are composed mainly of calcite with relatively heavier carbon isotope(their δ18O values range from-0.3‰--0.1‰) and lighter oxygen isotope(their δ18O values range from-22.1‰--19.5‰).Generally,they are closely related to the direct precipitation of oversaturated calcium carbonate from alkaline lake water.This kind of cementation plays an important role in enhancing the anti-compaction ability of sandstones,preserving intragranular volume and providing the mass basis for later disso-lution caused by acidic fluid flow to produce secondary porosity.Ferriferous calcites are characterized by relatively light carbon isotope with δ13C values ranging from-8.02‰ to-3.23‰,and lighter oxygen isotope with δ18O values ranging from-22.9‰ to-19.7‰,which is obviously related to the decarboxylation of organic matter during the late period of early diagenesis to the early period of late diagenesis.As the mid-late diagenetic products,ferriferous calcites in the study area are considered as the characteristic authigenic minerals for indicating large-scaled hydrocarbon influx and migration within the clastic reservoir.The late ankerite is relatively heavy in carbon isotope with δ13C values ranging from-1.92‰ to-0.84‰,and shows a wide range of variations in oxygen isotopic composition,with δ18O values ranging from-20.5‰ to-12.6‰.They are believed to have nothing to do with decarboxylation,but the previously formed marine carbonate rock fragments may serve as the chief carbon source for their precipitation,and the alkaline diagenetic environment at the mid-late stage would promote this process.

Microstructures and mechanical behaviors of CVI-based C/C composites containing h-BN powdered additives

Hexagonal boron nitride(h-BN) powders were introduced into carbon fiber preform by powder addition and subsequent combined with chemical vapor infiltration(CVI) for densification to prepare carbon fiber reinforced/carbon and boron nitride dual matrix composites(C/C-BN). Microstructures and mechanical properties of C/C composites with three different volume contents of h-BN powders were investigated in comparison to pure C/C composites. Results indicated that the introduction of h-BN powders into C/C composites significantly reduced the size of Py C and the anisotropy of thermal contraction in matrix,leading to a gradual disappearance of ring defects as the h-BN content increased. In addition, an enhanced interfacial bonding between fiber and matrix obtained due to higher-textured Py C and rougher fiber surface. Thereby, the flexural strengths and modulus of as-prepared composites decreased firstly and then increased, while the impact toughness presented a decreasing tendency as the content of BN powders increased. Furthermore, with the increasing of h-BN content, anisotropies of compressive properties were weakened, and the compressive strength of C/C-BN composites were always higher than that of pure C/C composit. However, when C/C composites modified by 13.5 vol% content of h-BN, excessive loose BN aggregates appeared in C/C-BN composites, leading to a relatively slight reduction of compressive strength.

Biogenic carbonate formation and sedimentation in the Xisha Islands: evidences from living Halimeda

A recent island survey reveals that the Xuande Atoll and the Yongle Atoll in the Xisha Islands can be classified into one of two systems：the depleted atoll system and growth atoll system;the survey also indicates that the decreased area of several shoals is an unbearable burden for the Xisha Islands, of which the largest island area is 2.13 km2 and the minimum elevation is 1.4 m. According to a survey on the ecological characteristics of Halimeda in the Laolongtou breaker zone of Shidao Island in the Xisha Islands, the green and white living Halimeda are collected, the isotopic ages of 14C contained in the Halimeda are shown to be 27 years and 55 years, respectively, and carbonate mainly occurs in five types, i.e., luster, segment, sand, sand grain, and marl in the formation. The Halimeda segments mainly provide the carbonate sediments of long-term biogenic deposits in the reef environment and the annual productivity per area is 60–100 g/m2;the characteristics of the microstructure of the Halimeda are analyzed, the aragonite raphide carbonate is deposited and enriched in the cortexes, medullas and cysts, and the Halimeda generally contain major elements such as C, O, Ca, Cl, Mg, K, Na, S and Al, and are rich in trace elements such as tellurium （Te）, rhodium （Rh） and strontium. It is believed that the Halimeda grow slowly, including the biotic community of reef corals in the reef areas, thus they possess an environmental remediation capacity, but it takes much time to remedy the environment, and it is necessary to make the law to protect the diversity and vulnerability of the Xisha marine ecology, the ecology of the reef community and the island environment in a scientific way. As indicated in the survey, under the background of global warming and sea-level rise, the discovery of large amounts of Halimeda in the Laolongtou sea area is significant for the natural increase of the depleted atoll system of the Xuande Atoll, while the Halimeda segments represent the primary form of the fossil Halimeda, of which the species can be identified and preserved in great numbers under geological conditions. The Miocene was discovered in large amounts in the Xichen-1 well, therefore the study on the characteristics and mechanism of Halimeda carbonate sediments plays a pivotal role in the formation and construction of organic reefs in the South China Sea as well as oil and gas exploration.

Study on the Pyrolytic Carbon Generated by the Electric Heating CVD Method

A new method of fabricating C/C composite materials, namely electric heating CVD method, was used, which electrified the carbon fiber directly by using the conductivity of itself. Acetylene was used as the carbon source with nitrogen as dilution gas, and the pyrolytic carbon started to deposit on the carbon fiber surface when the deposition temperature was reached. The morphology of pyrolytic carbon was characterized by SEM, and the surface properties of carbon fibers before and after CVD were characterized by Raman spectroscopy. The experimental results show that the electric heating method is a novel method to fabricate C/C composite materials, which can form a dense C/C composite material in a short time. The order degree and the average crystallite size of the carbon fiber surface were decreased after the experiment.

Temporal and spatial variations of carbon isotope signature reveal substantial contribution of bracts and internode assimilates to grain filling of japonica rice

Carbon isotope composition(δ^(13)C)of a plant organ is an inherent signature reflecting its physiological property,and thus is used as an integrative index in crop breeding.It is also a non-intrusive method for quantifying the relative contribution of different source organs to grain filling in cereals.Using the samples collected from two-year field and pot experiments with two nitrogen(N)fertilization treatments,we investigated the temporal and spatial variations of δ^(13)C in source organs of leaf,sheath,internode,and bracts,and in sink organ grain.Constitutive nature of δ^(13)C was uncovered,with an order of leaf(−27.84‰)<grain(−27.82‰)<sheath(−27.24‰)<bracts(−26.81‰)<internode(−25.67‰).For different positions of individual organs within the plant,δ^(13)C of the leaf and sheath presented a diminishing trend from the top(flag leaf and its sheath)to the bottom(the last leaf in reverse order and its sheath).No obvious pattern was found for the internode.For temporal variations, δ^(13)C of the leaf and sheath had a peak(the most negative)at 10 days after anthesis(DAA),whereas that of the bracts showed a marked increase at the time point of anthesis,implying a transformation from sink to source organ.By comparing the δ^(13)C in its natural abundance in the water-soluble fractions of the sheath,internode,and bracts with the δ^(13)C in mature grains,the relative contribution of these organs to grain filling was assessed.With reference to the leaf,the internode accounted for as high as 32.64%and 42.56%at 10 DAA and 20 DAA,respectively.Meanwhile,bracts presented a larger contribution than the internode,with superior bracts being higher than inferior bracts.In addition,N topdressing reduced the contribution of the internode and bracts.Our findings clearly proved the actual significance of non-foliar organs of the internode and bracts for rice yield formation,thus extending our basic knowledge of source and sink relations.

Effect of specific pressure on fabrication of 2D-C_f/Al composite by vacuum and pressure infiltration

Carbon fiber reinforced aluminum matrix （Cf/Al） composite has many excellent properties, and it has received more and more attention. Two-dimensional （2D） Cf/Al composites were fabricated by vacuum and pressure infiltration, which was an integrated technique and could provide high vacuum and high infiltration pressure. The effect of specific pressure on the infiltration quality of the obtained composites was comparatively evaluated through microstructure observation. The experimental results show that satisfied Cf/Al composites could be fabricated at the specific pressure of 75 MPa. In this case, the preform was infiltrated much more completely by aluminum alloy liquid, and the residual porosity was seldom found. It is found that the ultimate tensile strength of the obtained Cf/Al composite reached maximum at the specific pressure of 75 MPa, which was improved by 138.9% compared with that of matrix alloy.

喷涂-烧结法制备SiC涂层及抗冲蚀性能的研究

为了提高低密度C/C复合材料的抗冲蚀性能,使用喷涂-烧结法在其表面制备了均匀完整的SiC涂层,研究了反应原材料中蔗糖、葡萄糖、活性炭、磷粉四种碳源对SiC涂层的物相组成、微观形貌以及抗冲蚀性能的影响。结果表明:碳源种类对涂层中的物相组成产生影响,蔗糖和葡萄糖作为碳源时涂层均以单一的SiC物相存在,在10次冲蚀性能测试后涂层仍完整覆盖基体表面,冲蚀损失率分别为1.288%和1.144%,可能是由于残碳现象的改善以及大体积SiC颗粒的生成使冲蚀粒子发生了回弹作用,导致抗冲蚀性能提升。

高温热处理对C/C复合材料组织结构和拉伸性能的影响

为了缓解C/C复合材料的脆性,使用自制的热梯度化学气相沉积(TG-CVI)设备对单向碳纤维预制体进行致密化,制备得到致密的C/C复合材料。通过高温热处理调节界面的结合强度和基体碳的石墨化程度,利用排水法测试复合材料的密度,万能材料试验机测试其拉伸性能,采用可视化石墨烯片层技术(VGT)对试样进行处理,使用偏光显微镜(PLM)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X-射线衍射(XRD)分别研究复合材料的微观组织、界面和断面形貌、以及物相组成。结果表明,在相同沉积条件下,热处理后的C/C复合材料碳基体的石墨化程度提高,界面结合强度下降,拉伸性能下降。但复合材料最初的脆性断裂向拟延性转变,延伸率提高。