Researchers from Kazan Federal University and Kazan National Research Technical University have re-invented a universal carbon plastic, increasing the energy destruction resistance of the material up to more than 500°C. The discovery could lead to changes in the aviation industry for technical upgrades related to temperature limits.
Tackling the Flammability Challenge
For years, a major limitation of traditional composite materials in aerospace applications has been their lack of resistance to fire. This is because the materials are based on organic polymer binders, which are both flammable and have a strong potential to decompose around 300-450°C.
This has been a severe constraint in the industries that demand non-combustible materials for high-temperature applications, such as aviation and astronautics. A team of researchers at Kazan Federal University and Kazan National Research Technical University have offered a way to get around this by producing plastics based on inorganic binders that can survive temperatures above 500°C.
Pioneering Inorganic Binders
Specifically, the research team claims to have developed a class of inorganic binders like aluminophosphate, aluminophosphate and aluminochrome phosphate which can transform carbon plastics into high-performance. They dramatically improve the heating resistance and flame retardancy of composite materials by replacing conventional organic polymer binders with these inorganic substitutes.
The researchers thoroughly researched the rheological properties of these inorganic binders, their density and surface tension, as well as the ability to wet carbon fibre reinforcement on standard samples. They further scaled in the drying and vacuum moulding procedures to guarantee good seat quality of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastics.
Conclusion
These ultra-heat-resistant carbon plastics represent a breakthrough in aeronautical and aerospace engineering. This is a critical first step towards developing advanced inorganic binder-based carbon plastics that provide solutions to the safety and flammability issues associated with existing composite materials, which should enable safer, longer-lasting, and more environmentally-friendly components for use across diverse applications ranging from air and space travel to high-temperature industrial equipment. With the researchers continuing to refine the hydrophobic characteristics of these materials, fireproof composite solutions in the aerospace market are promising more than ever.
