| CPC C01B 32/205 (2017.08) [C08J 5/243 (2021.05); C01P 2006/10 (2013.01); C08J 2387/00 (2013.01)] | 17 Claims |
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1. A method of making a graphitic carbon-carbon composite from thermosetting polymer resin comprising the steps of:
a) infusing bis-Schiff base resin into a carbon fiber reinforcement to form an uncured resin embedded composite, the bis-Schiff base resin comprising the structure of Formula (I):
 wherein:
R comprises at least one aromatic moiety,
X comprises an aromatic moiety, an aliphatic moiety, or a hydrogen and
X′ comprises an aromatic moiety, an aliphatic moiety, or a hydrogen;
b) positioning the uncured resin embedded composite on a substrate under a vacuum enclosure;
c) curing the carbon fiber reinforcement embedded with bis-Schiff base resin at a first elevated temperature under vacuum to form a polymer matrix composite;
d) heating the polymer matrix composite at a second elevated temperature under inert atmosphere to form a porous carbon-carbon composite;
e) re-infusing bis-Schiff base resin into the porous carbon-carbon composite resulting from step (d) and curing the newly infused bis-Schiff base resin under vacuum at a third elevated temperature to generate a reinfused porous carbon-carbon composite;
f) heating the reinfused porous carbon-carbon composite resulting from step (e) at a fourth elevated temperature under inert gas to densify the resulting reinfused porous carbon-carbon composite from step (e) and form the graphitic carbon-carbon composite;
wherein the second elevated temperature and/or at least one instance of the fourth elevated temperature is greater than 1800° C.
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