Claims
- 1. A reactive-bonding method for joining two carbon--carbon composite parts, each carbon--carbon part having at least one faying area, comprising the steps of:
- a. preparing a reactive-bonding layer having a thickness ranging from about 25 to 2500 micrometers and a dimension matching the faying area of the carbon--carbon parts to be joined, said reactive-bonding layer being comprised of a mixture of fine particle-sized, carbide forming metallic ingredients, and carbon, and having a composition that is metal rich;
- b. assembling said carbon--carbon parts and said reactive-bonding layer to form a setup in which the reactive-bonding layer forms a joint interlayer between the parts;
- c. heating said setup under a compressive pressure in either a vacuum or an inert gas atmosphere for a time and at a temperature sufficient to complete a bonding reaction to form a compound selected from the group consisting of borides, carbides, silicides and nitrides and which compound is produced within said joint interlayer and between said joint interlayer and said carbon--carbon composite parts, forming a bond between said joint interlayer and between said carbon--carbon composite parts that is non-porous, wherein said metallic ingredients of said reactive-bonding layer have melting points, and said temperature of said heating of said setup can be reduced to a temperature that is less than one-half the melting point of the metallic ingredients.
- 2. A method as recited by claim 1, wherein the metallic ingredients of the reactive-bonding layer comprise at least one element selected from the group consisting of: W, Ti, Si, Ta, Nb, Zr, Hf, V, Cr, and Mo.
- 3. A method as recited by claim 1, wherein the reactive-bonding layer additionally comprises a filler material composed of at least one refractory compound selected from the group consisting of: borides, carbides, silicides, and nitrides.
- 4. A method as recited by claim 1, wherein said compressive pressure applied to said setup ranges from about 0.1 to 50 megapascals.
- 5. A method as recited by claim 1, whereby, after being joined, said carbon--carbon composite parts form a carbon--carbon joint having a joint shear strength greater than the interlaminar shear strength of the carbon--carbon parts.
- 6. The method of claim 1, whereby, after being joined, said carbon--carbon composite parts form a carbon--carbon joint having a thickness greater than 25 micrometers and said joint interlayer has a thermal expansion matched to the carbon--carbon parts.
- 7. A reactive-bonding method for joining two carbon--carbon composite parts, each carbon--carbon part having at least one faying area, consisting of the steps of:
- a. preparing a reactive-bonding layer having a thickness ranging from about 25 to 2500 micrometers and a dimension matching the faying area of the carbon--carbon parts to be joined, said reactive-bonding layer being comprised of a mixture of fine particle-sized, carbide forming metallic ingredients, and carbon, and having a composition that is metal rich;
- b. assembling said carbon--carbon parts and said reactive-bonding layer to form a setup in which the reactive-bonding layer forms a joint interlayer between the parts;
- c. heating said setup under a compressive pressure in either a vacuum or an inert gas atmosphere for a time and at a temperature sufficient to complete a bonding reaction to form a compound selected from the group consisting of borides, carbides, silicides and nitrides and which compound is produced within said joint interlayer and between said joint interlayer and said carbon--carbon composite parts, forming a bond between said joint interlayer and between said carbon--carbon composite parts that is non-porous, wherein said metallic ingredients of said reactive-bonding layer have melting points, and said temperature of said heating of said setup can be reduced to a temperature that is less than one-half the melting point of the metallic ingredients.
- 8. A method as recited by claim 7, wherein the metallic ingredients of the reactive-bonding layer comprise at least one element selected from the group consisting of: W, Ti, Si, Ta, Nb, Zr, Hf, V, Cr, and Mo.
- 9. A method as recited by claim 7, wherein the reactive-bonding layer additionally comprises a filler material composed of at least one refractory compound selected from the group consisting of: borides, carbides, silicides, and nitrides.
- 10. A method as recited by claim 7, wherein said compressive pressure applied to said setup ranges from about 0.1 to 50 megapascals.
- 11. A method as recited by claim 7, whereby, after being joined, said carbon--carbon composite parts form a carbon--carbon joint having a joint shear strength greater than the interlaminar shear strength of the carbon--carbon parts.
- 12. The method of claim 7, whereby, after being joined, said carbon--carbon composite parts form a carbon--carbon joint having a thickness greater than 25 micrometers and said joint interlayer has a thermal expansion matched to the carbon--carbon parts.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/006,996, Filed Nov. 20, 1995.
US Referenced Citations (16)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
504078 |
May 1939 |
GBX |