Back in the 1970’s, Snecma Propulsion Solide started to develop advanced materials with a view to enhancing the performance and reliability of the missiles operated by the French strike force. These materials would have to be able to offer good mechanical properties at very high temperatures.
Thermostructural composite materials manage to preserve their mechanical properties at very high temperatures (above 1500°C) because of the interplay between the carbon or ceramic fibers and the matrices, that are also carbon or ceramic-based materials. The fibers provide the strength and the matrix bonds the fibers together to distribute the load evenly over the fibers.
The fibers are selected and oriented geometrically specifically for the loads to be resisted. This arrangement of 2D, 3D, 4D or nD woven fibers is called a preform.
The matrices are produced by Isothermal Chemical Vapor Infiltration (ICVI) of the preform or/and by liquid impregnation, followed in some cases by a sequence of heat treatment operations.
More information about Thermostructural composite materials. (5,1 Mo)
Thermostructural composite materials outperform metals in a number of areas: lightness, resistance to thermal shocks and corrosion, and fatigue strength. Most importantly, these properties are preserved even at very high operating temperatures (up to 2,700°C).