Development of Carbon/Carbon Composites with Carbon Nanotubes as Reinforcement and Chemical Vapor Infiltration Carbon as Matrix

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes based carbon/carbon composites were prepared by infiltration of purified ACNTs film with pyrolytic carbon. Densification was performed by filling the space between the CNTs through by deposition of the pyrocarbon on the nanotubes surface. It comprised of (i) Synthesis and purification of aligned carbon nanotubes films by CCVD process and (ii) Infiltration of CNTs film by pyrocarbon using CVI method at 950 degrees C. SEM studies showed that the film was well infiltrated using methane. The density of film increased to 1.4 gm/cm3 from 0.4 gm/cm3 of as purified ACNTs film. The I(D)/I(G) ratio for CNTs film is 0.67 and 0.80 for the CVI deposited pyrocarbon. The lower I(D)/I(G) ratio from Raman microscopy shows fine graphitic nature of carbon nanotubes and nanocomposites films.