Carbon-bonded carbon fiber insulation for radioisotope space power systems
A carbon-bonded carbon fiber (CBCF) insulation developed for a radioisotope heat source is made from chopped rayon fiber about 10 ..mu..m in diameter and 250 ..mu..m long, which is carbonized and bonded with phenolic resin particles. The CBCF is an excellent lightweight insulating material with a nominal density of 0.2 Mg/m/sup 3/ and a thermal conductivity of 0.24 W/(m-K) in vacuum at 2000/sup 0/C. Several attributes that make CBCF particularly suitable for the heat source application have been identified. These include light weight, low thermal conductivity, chemical compatibility, and high-temperature capabilities. The mechanical strength of CBCF insulation is satisfactory for the application. The basic fabrication technique was refined to eliminate undesirable large pores and cracks often present in materials fabricated by earlier techniques. Also, processing was scaled up to increase the fabrication rate by a factor of 10. The specific properties of the CBCF were tailored by adjusting material and processing variables to obtain the desired results. 22 references, 13 figures, 4 tables.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 5778454
- Journal Information:
- Am. Ceram. Soc. Bull.; (United States), Vol. 64:5
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Carbon-bonded carbon fiber insulation for radioisotope space power systems
EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE FIBERS TO REPLACE NARC-RAYON FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CBCF
Related Subjects
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
RADIOISOTOPE HEAT SOURCES
THERMAL INSULATION
SPACECRAFT POWER SUPPLIES
FABRICATION
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
CARBON
FIBERS
SPACE VEHICLES
THERMOELECTRIC GENERATORS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
HEAT SOURCES
NONMETALS
POWER SUPPLIES
VEHICLES
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
070301* - Isotopic Power Supplies- Design & Fabrication- (-1987)
360603 - Materials- Properties