Shear properties of carbon fiber/phenolic resin composites heat treated at high temperatures

Abstract

Carbon fiber/phenolic resin composites have long been used as ablative materials in rocketry. Ablation is a complex multiscale problem where radiative and convective heating leads to the pyrolysis of phenolic resin matrix, resulting in the formation of a porous insulation char as thermal protection. This study investigates the shear properties evolution during the heat treatment of a carbon fiber/phenolic resin nozzle extension entrance (exit cone) which is part of an integrated nozzle of launching and sounding vehicles, developed at the Instituto de Aeronáutica e Espaço (SP), Brazil. Specimens of the material (carbon fiber/phenolic resin composite) were subjected to heat treatment at 500, 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000°C, and measurements of shear strength and shear modulus were performed using the Iosipescu mode. Experimental data were compared with the results obtained theoretically. Also, morphological analysis was accomplished by optical microscopy and the observation of fractured surfaces, by scanning electron microscopy. Significant morphological changes in the microstructure after heat treatments were observed. The lowest value for shear strength obtained experimentally was 4.05 MPa, which is greater than the ultimate value obtained analytically (2.35 MPa), fulfilling its structural function during the propulsion time.