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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

Thermal conductivity and thermal expansion of graphite fiber/copper matrix composites

The high specific conductivity of graphite fiber/copper matrix (Gr/Cu) composites offers great potential for high heat flux structures operating at elevated temperatures. To determine the feasibility of applying Gr/Cu composites to high heat flux structures, composite plates were fabricated using unidirectional and cross-plied pitch-based P100 graphite fibers in a pure copper matrix. Thermal conductivity of the composites was measured from room temperature to 1073 K, and thermal expansion was measured from room temperature to 1050 K. The longitudinal thermal conductivity, parallel to the fiber direction, was comparable to pure copper. The transverse thermal conductivity, normal to the fiber direction, was less than that of pure copper and decreased with increasing fiber content. The longitudinal thermal expansion decreased with increasing fiber content. The transverse thermal expansion was greater than pure copper and nearly independent of fiber content.

Ellis, David L.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Improved fiber retention by the use of fillers in graphite fiber/resin matrix composites

A potential problem in the use of graphite fiber reinforced resin matrix composites is the dispersal of graphite fiber during accidental fires. Airborne electrically conductive fibers originating from burning composites could enter and cause shorting in electrical equipment located in surrounding areas. A variety of matrix fillers have been tested for their ability to prevent loss of fiber from graphite fiber/PMR polyimide and graphite fiber/epoxy composites in a fire. The fillers tested included powders of boron, boron carbide (B4C), lime glass, lead glass, and aluminum. Of these fillers, boron was the most effective and prevented any loss of graphite fiber during burning. Mechanical properties of composites containing boron filler were measured and compared to those of composite containing no filler.

Gluyas, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Graphite Fiber Textile Preform/Copper Matrix Composites

Graphite fiber reinforced/copper matrix composites are candidate materials for critical heat transmitting and rejection components because of their high thermal conduction. The use of textile (braid) preforms allows near-net shapes which confers additional advantages, both for enhanced thermal conduction and increased robustness of the preform against infiltration and handling damage. Issues addressed in the past year center on the determination of the braid structure following infiltration, and the braidability vs. the conductivity of the fibers. Highly conductive fibers eventuate from increased graphitization, which increases the elastic modulus, but lowers the braidability; a balance between these factors must be achieved. Good quality braided preform bars have been fabricated and infiltrated, and their thermal expansion characterized; their analytic modeling is underway. The braided preform of an integral finned tube has been fabricated and is being prepared for infiltration.

Filatovs, G. J.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Graphite fiber textile preform/copper matrix composites

Graphite fiber reinforced/copper matrix composites have sufficiently high thermal conduction to make them candidate materials for critical heat transmitting and rejection components. The term textile composites arises because the preform is braided from fiber tows, conferring three-dimensional reinforcement and near net shape. The principal issues investigated in the past two years have centered on developing methods to characterize the preform and fabricated composite and on braidability. It is necessary to have an analytic structural description for both processing and final property modeling. The structure of the true 3-D braids used is complex and has required considerable effort to model. A structural mapping has been developed as a foundation for analytic models for thermal conduction and mechanical properties. The conductivity has contributions both from the copper and the reinforcement. The latter is accomplished by graphitization of the fibers, the higher the amount of graphitization the greater the conduction. This is accompanied by an increase in the fiber modulus, which is desirable from a stiffness point of view but decreases the braidability; the highest conductivity fibers are simply too brittle to be braided. Considerable effort has been expended on determining the optimal braidability--conductivity region. While a number of preforms have been fabricated, one other complication intervenes; graphite and copper are immiscible, resulting in a poor mechanical bond and difficulties in infiltration by molten copper. The approach taken is to utilize a proprietary fiber coating process developed by TRA, of Salt Lake City, Utah, which forms an itermediary bond. A number of preforms have been fabricated from a variety of fiber types and two sets of these have been infiltrated with OFHC copper, one with the TRA coating and one without. Mechanical tests have been performed using a small-scale specimen method and show the coated specimens to have superior mechanical properties. Final batches of preforms, including a finned, near net shape tube, are being fabricated and will be infiltrated before summer.

Gilatovs, G. J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Graphite Fiber/Copper Matrix Composites for Space Power Heat Pipe Fin Applications

High specific thermal conductivity (thermal conductivity divided by density) is a major design criterion for minimizing system mass for space power systems. For nuclear source power systems, graphite fiber reinforced copper matrix (Gr/Cu) composites offer good potential as a radiator fin material operating at service temperatures above 500 K. Specific thermal conductivity in the longitudinal direction is better than beryllium and almost twice that of copper. The high specific thermal conductivity of Gr/Cu offers the potential of reducing radiator mass by as much as 30 percent. Gr/Cu composites also offer the designer a range of available properties for various missions and applications. The properties of Gr/Cu are highly anisotropic. Longitudinal elastic modulus is comparable to beryllium and about three times that of copper. Thermal expansion in the longitudinal direction is near zero, while it exceeds that of copper in the transverse direction.

McDanels, David L.↗
NASA NTRS1981

New kind of type 3 chondrite with a graphite-magnetite matrix

Four clasts in three ordinary-chondrite regolith breccias are discovered which are a new kind of type 3 chondrite. As with ordinary and carbonaceous type 3 chondrites, they have distinct chondrules, some of which contain glass, highly heterogeneous olivines and pyroxenes, and predominantly monoclinic low-Ca pyroxenes. Instead of the usual, fine-grained, Fe-rich silicate matrix, however, the clasts have a matrix composed largely of aggregates of micron- and submicron-sized graphite and magnetite. The bulk compositions of the clasts, as well as the types of chondrules (largely porphyritic), are characteristic of type 3 ordinary chondrites, although chondrules in the clasts are somewhat smaller (0.1-0.5 mm). A close relationship with ordinary chondrites is also suggested by the presence of similar graphite-magnetite aggregates in seven type 3 ordinary chondrites. It is thought that this new kind of chondrite is probably the source of the abundant graphite-magnetite inclusions in ordinary-chondrite regolith breccias and that it may be more common than indicated by the absence of whole meteorites made of chondrules and graphite-magnetite.

Scott, E. R. D.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Improved fiber retention by the use of fillers in graphite fiber/resin matrix composites

A variety of matrix fillers were tested for their ability to prevent loss of fiber from graphite fiber/PMR polyimide and graphite fiber/epoxy composites in a fire. The fillers tested included powders of boron, boron carbide lime glass, lead glass, and aluminum. Boron was the most effective and prevented any loss of graphite fiber during burning. Mechanical properties of composites containing boron filler were measured and compared to those of composites containing no filler.

Gluyas, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Polymer matrix and graphite fiber interface study

Hercules AS4 graphite fiber, unsized, or with EPON 828, PVA, or polysulfone sizing, was combined with three different polymer matrices. These included Hercules 3501-6 epoxy, Hercules 4001 bismaleimide, and Hexcel F155 rubber toughened epoxy. Unidirectional composites in all twelve combinations were fabricated and tested in transverse tension and axial compression. Quasi-isotropic laminates were tested in axial tension and compression, flexure, interlaminar shear, and tensile impact. All tests were conducted at both room temperature, dry and elevated temperature, and wet conditions. Single fiber pullout testing was also performed. Extensive scanning electron microphotographs of fracture surfaces are included, along with photographs of single fiber pullout failures. Analytical/experimental correlations are presented, based on the results of a finite element micromechanics analysis. Correlations between matrix type, fiber sizing, hygrothermal environment, and loading mode are presented. Results indicate that the various composite properties were only moderately influenced by the fiber sizings utilized.

Adams, D. F.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Sub-T/g/ annealing studies of advanced epoxy-matrix graphite-fiber-reinforced composites

Annealing at temperatures below the glass transition temperature (sub-T/g/ annealing) in structural epoxy network glasses is found to affect long-term mechanical properties of symmetrically (+ or - 45 deg) reinforced 16-lamina graphite/epoxy composites. Post-cured specimens of Thornel 300 graphite/Narmco 5208 epoxy are sub-T(g) annealed at 140 C for about 10, 100, 1000, 10,000, and 100,000 min with a prior quenching above T(g). The ultimate tensile strength, strain-to-break, and static toughness of the composite materials are found to decrease as a function of sub-T(g) annealing time, while no weight loss is observed. Time-dependent changes in properties are explained by a physical aging concept based on free-volume decreases in the nonequilibrium glassy state of network epoxies, and results imply that changes in composite properties may occur with the service time.

Kong, E. S. W.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Standard test evaluation of graphite fiber/resin matrix composite materials for improved toughness

Programs sponsored by NASA with the commercial transport manufacturers to develop a technology data base are required to design and build composite wing and fuselage structures. To realize the full potential of composite structures in these strength critical designs, material systems having improved ductility and interlaminar toughness are being sought. To promote systematic evaluation of new materials, NASA and the commercial transport manufacturers have selected and standardized a set of five common tests. These tests evaluate open hole tension and compression performance, compression performance after impact at an energy level of 20 ft-lb, and resistance to delamination. Ten toughened resin matrix/graphite fiber composites were evaluated using this series of tests, and their performance is compared with a widely used composite system.

Chapman, Andrew J.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Composites - Lighter and cheaper.

Composite engineering materials have two distinct parts, including the load-bearing filaments and the matrix. Fibers can range from glass to boron and graphite. Matrix constituents include epoxies for lower temperatures and metals for higher temperatures. Composites appear as tape or combined with metal in structural shapes. The increased use of composites will reduce over-all per pound manufacturing costs. Two major deterrents to further application of composites in advanced commercial transports include a shortage of cost-effective structural design concepts and a lack of confidence in the life characteristics. A program has been outlined by NASA that will, if implemented, provide considerable in-service life experience with structural components on commercial transports.

Goble, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Resistivity of Carbon-Carbon Composites Halved

Carbon-carbon composites have become the material of choice for applications requiring strength and stiffness at very high temperatures (above 2000 C). These composites comprise carbon or graphite fibers embedded in a carbonized or graphitized matrix. In some applications, such as shielding sensitive electronics in very high temperature environments, the performance of these materials would be improved by lowering their electrical resistivity. One method to lower the resistivity of the composites is to lower the resistivity of the graphite fibers, and a proven method to accomplish that is intercalation. Intercalation is the insertion of guest atoms or molecules into a host lattice. In this study the host fibers were highly graphitic pitch-based graphite fibers, or vapor-grown carbon fibers (VGCF), and the intercalate was bromine. Intercalation compounds of graphite are generally thought of as being only metastable, but it has been shown that the residual bromine graphite fiber intercalation compound is remarkably stable, resisting decomposition even at temperatures at least as high as 1000 C. The focus of this work was to fabricate composite preforms, determine whether the fibers they were made from were still intercalated with bromine after processing, and determine the effect on composite resistivity. It was not expected that the resistivity would be lowered as dramatically as with graphite polymer composites because the matrix itself would be much more conductive, but it was hoped that the gains would be substantial enough to warrant its use in high-performance applications. In a collaborative effort supporting a Space Act Agreement between the NASA Glenn Research Center and Applied Sciences, Inc. (Cedarville, OH), laminar preforms were fabricated with pristine and bromine-intercalated pitch-based fibers (P100 and P100-Br) and VGCF (Pyro I and Pyro I-Br). The green preforms were carbonized at 1000 C and then heat treated to 3000 C. To determine whether the fibers in the samples were still intercalated after composite fabrication, they were subjected to X-ray diffraction. The composites containing intercalated graphite fibers showed much higher background scatter than that of pristine fibers, indicating the presence of bromine in the samples. More importantly, faint features indicative of intercalation were visible in the diffraction pattern, showing that the fibers were still intercalated.

Gaier, James R.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Research on graphite reinforced glass matrix composites

The results of research for the origination of graphite-fiber reinforced glass matrix composites are presented. The method selected to form the composites consisted of pulling the graphite fiber through a slurry containing powdered glass, winding up the graphite fiber and the glass it picks up on a drum, drying, cutting into segments, loading the tape segment into a graphite die, and hot pressing. During the course of the work, composites were made with a variety of graphite fibers in a glass matrix.

Bacon, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Brief review of Rover fuel development at Los Alamos

A brief review of the graphite matrix uranium fuel development efforts at Los Alamos from 1955 through 1972 is presented. The uses of graphite flour carbon black, various binders, uranium dioxide, coated UC2 particles, and zirconium carbide in this development are described.

Davidson, Keith V.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Research on Graphite Reinforced Glass Matrix Composites

This report contains the results obtained in the first twelve months of research under NASA Langley Contract NAS1-14346 for the origination of graphite-fiber reinforced glass matrix composites. Included in the report is a summary of the research by other investigators in this area. The method selected to form the composites consisted of pulling the graphite fiber through a slurry containing powdered glass, winding up the graphite fiber and the glass it picks up on a drum, drying, cutting into segments, loading the tape segment into a graphite die, and hot pressing. During the course of the work, composites were made with a variety of graphite fibers in a C.G.W. 7740 (Pyrex) glass matrix. The graphite fibers used included Hercules HMS, Hercules HTS, Thornel 300S, and Celanese DG-102 and, of these, the Hercules HMS and Celanese DG-102 graphite fibers in C.G.W. 7740 gave the most interesting but widely different results. Hercules HMS fiber in C.G.W. 7740 glass (Pyrex) showed an average four-point flexural strength of 848 MPa or 127,300 psi. As the test temperature was raised from room temperature to 560 C in argon or vacuum, the strength was higher by 50 percent. However, in air, similar tests at 560 C gave a severe loss in strength. These composites also have good thermal cycle properties in argon or vacuum, greatly increased toughness compared to glass, and no loss in strength in a 100 cycle fatigue test. Celanese DG-102 fiber in C.G.W. 7740 glass (Pyrex) had a much lower flexural strength but did not suffer any loss in this strength when samples were heated to 560 C in air for 4 hrs.

Bacon, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Research on graphite reinforced glass matrix composites

High levels of mechanical performance in tension, flexure, fatigue, and creep loading situations of graphite fiber reinforced glass matrix composites are discussed. At test temperatures of up to 813 K it was found that the major limiting factor was the oxidative instability of the reinforcing graphite fibers. Particular points to note include the following: (1) a wide variety of graphite fibers were found to be comparable with the glass matrix composite fabrication process; (2) choice of fiber, to a large extent, controlled resultant composite performance; (3) composite fatigue performance was found to be excellent at both 300 K and 703 K; (4) composite creep and stress rupture at temperatures of up to 813 K was limited by the oxidative stability of the fiber; (5) exceptionally low values of composite thermal expansion coefficient were attributable to the dimensional stability of both matrix and fiber; and (6) component fabricability was demonstrated through the hot pressing of hot sections and brazing using glass and metal joining phases.

Prewo, K. M.↗