ISSN: 0090-3973
Published Online: 4 September 2007
Page Count: 14

LOX Compatible Toughened Bismaleimide Matrix Thermally Conductive Fiber Composites Part I: Composite Fabrication Viability And Thermal Conductivity Measurement
Gerzeski, Roger
Air Force Research Labs, Materials And Manufacturing Directorate, Structural Materials Branch, Ohio

(Received 22 January 2007; accepted 11 July 2007)

Abstract

ASTM D2512 is the standard test used to determine if a material is liquid oxygen (LOX) compatible. To date all composites considered for use in making a LOX component have failed to pass this test due to their very low in-plane thermal conductivity (K). Since a higher K is usually a hallmark of a LOX compatible material, adequately increasing the in-plane K of a composite will render it D2512 LOX compatible. Good 66.0, 63.2, and 63.1 % fiber volume composites have been fabricated for the first time out of baseline T650-35-UC309 and thermally conductive YSH50A and YSH60A fibers using the toughened bismaleimide matrix 5250-4 RTM. The in-plane K of the thermally conductive fibered composites is within the estimated ∼30 to ∼70 W/mK range that a composite will require to pass D2512.

Keywords:
composites, thermal conductivity, graphite fibers, ASTM D2512 LOX compatibility, prepreg

Paper ID: JTE101020
DOI: 10.1520/JTE101020
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