Fabrication and Mechanical Properties of PAN-based Carbon Composite Laminates for High Temperature Applications.

The main aim of this paper is an experimental investigation is to study the thermophysical and mechanical properties of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) based carbon fiber fabric and phenolic resin composites (Cf-PR) for thermal protection system (TPS) for high temperature applications. Composite laminates of Cf-PR were prepared by hand-layup method by considering the curing temperature of 1500 C at 100 kg/cm2 for 4hrs under hydraulic hot press machine. The mechanical properties of the materials such as the interlaminar shear stress (ILSS), flexural strength, compression strength, bar coal hardness, thermal property such as thermal conductivity and physical property such as density were studied. It was shown that the thermophysical and mechanical properties are responsibility for the higher strength and higher temperature applications for TPS.