Carbon fibre reinforced carbon ( CFRC ), carbon–carbon ( C/C ), or reinforced carbon–carbon ( RCC ) is a composite material consisting of carbon fiber reinforcement in a matrix of graphite . It was developed for the reentry vehicles of intercontinental ballistic missiles , and is most widely known as the material for the nose cone and wing leading edges of the Space Shuttle orbiter . Carbon-carbon brake discs and brake pads have been the standard component of the brake systems of Formula One racing cars since the late 1970s; the first year carbon brakes were seen on a Formula One car was 1976.
7-442: Carbon–carbon is well-suited to structural applications at high temperatures, or where thermal shock resistance and/or a low coefficient of thermal expansion is needed. While it is less brittle than many other ceramics, it lacks impact resistance; Space Shuttle Columbia was destroyed during atmospheric re-entry after one of its RCC panels was broken by the impact of a piece of polyurethane foam insulation that broke off from
14-660: Is slightly denser than pure carbon-carbon and thought to be more durable. It can be used in the brake disc and brake pads of high-performance road cars. The first car to use it was the Mercedes-Benz C215 Coupe F1 edition. It is standard on the Bugatti Veyron and many Bentleys , Ferraris , Lamborghinis , Porsches , and the Corvette ZR1 and Z06 . They are also offered as an optional upgrade on certain high performance Audi cars, including
21-522: The Space Shuttle External Tank . The material is made in three stages: First, material is laid up in its intended final shape, with carbon filament and/or cloth surrounded by an organic binder such as plastic or pitch . Often, coke or some other fine carbon aggregate is added to the binder mixture. Second, the lay-up is heated, so that pyrolysis transforms the binder to relatively pure carbon. The binder loses volume in
28-700: The D3 S8 , B7 RS4 , C6 S6 and RS6 , and the R8 . The material is not used in Formula 1 because of its weight. Carbon brakes became widely available for commercial airplanes in the 1980s, having been first used on the Concorde supersonic transport . A related non-ceramic carbon composite with uses in high-tech racing automotives is the carbotanium carbon–titanium composite used in the Zonda R and Huayra supercars made by
35-439: The fibre scaffold is laid up and the quality/density of the matrix filler. Carbon–carbon materials retain their properties above 2000 °C. This temperature may be exceeded with the help of protective coatings to prevent oxidation. The material has a density between 1.6 and 1.98 g/cm. Carbon fibre-reinforced silicon carbide ( C/SiC ) is a development of pure carbon–carbon that uses silicon carbide with carbon fibre . It
42-488: The material's high cost. The gray "Reinforced Carbon–Carbon (RCC)" panels on the space shuttle's wing leading edges and nose cone cost NASA $ 100,000/sq ft to produce, although much of this cost was a result of the advanced geometry and research costs associated with the panels. This stage can also include manufacturing of the finished product. C/C is a hard material that can be made highly resistant to thermal expansion, temperature gradients, and thermal cycling, depending on how
49-406: The process, causing voids to form; the addition of aggregate reduces this problem, but does not eliminate it. Third, the voids are gradually filled by forcing a carbon-forming gas such as acetylene through the material at a high temperature, over the course of several days. This long heat treatment process also allows the carbon to form into larger graphite crystals, and is the major reason for
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