Shear Properties of Carbon Fiber/Phenolic Resin Composites Heat Treated at High Temperatures

ABSTRACT Carbon fiber/phenolic resin composites have long been used as ablative materials in rocketry. Ablation is a complex multiscale problem where radiative and convective heating leads to the pyrolysis of phenolic resin matrix, resulting in the formation of a porous insulation char as thermal protection. This study investigates the shear properties evolution during the heat treatment of a carbon fiber/phenolic resin nozzle extension entrance (exit cone) which is part of an integrated nozzle of launching and sounding vehicles, developed at the Instituto de Aeronáutica e Espaço (SP), Brazi...