GB1034666A - Improvements relating to materials designed to resist high temperatures - Google Patents

Abstract

A heat-insulating material is formed by surrounding a tape, shingle, longitudinal shingle or rosette-type structure of already formed carbon fibres with a resin or elastomer so that the fibres are bonded together by the resin or elastomer, and carbonizing the resin or elastomer by heating, in the absence of oxygen, the bonded fibres, which heating throughout the whole carbonizing period does not exceed 10 DEG C. per hour. The carbon fibres may be formed from organic fibres having substantially no ash. Numerous resins and elastomers are exemplified. The bonded fibres may be formed into a body by moulding. The material may be wrapped in a protective substance, e.g. tinfoil, prior to carbonizing, or carbonization may be carried out in an inert atmosphere. The rate of heating is preferably not over 5-6 DEG C. per hour.ALSO:Carbon fibres bound with a resin or elastomer, and then carbonized in the absence of oxygen (see Division C1) may be coated with a metal, e.g. by spraying the metal on the surface of the bonded fibres, to lock the metal mechanically to the body of fibres. The metal may also be sprayed on to a laminate comprising said bonded fibres as one layer, the other layer being inorganic oxide fibres, similarly bound. The bound carbon fibres may themselves be coated on to a part of a rocket as a heat-insulating coating. Metals specified are tungsten, tantalum, copper, hafnium, molybdenum and aluminium.