The Critical Role of Heat Treatment in Carbon and Graphite Based Materials Used for Space Travel and Exploration

Space travel presents one of the most extreme operating environments.

We’re proud to announce that our Performance Carbon Technology Manager, Kimberly Thompson, has authored an article in Heat Treat Today (page 30) focusing on the role Carbon and Graphite Based Materials in Space Travel and Exploration.

Space travel presents one of the most extreme operating environments encountered by engineered materials.  Launch, orbital operation, atmospheric re-entry, and deep space exposure all impose combinations of high temperature, rapid thermal cycling, oxidative attack, mechanical stress, and radiation. Among the limited class of materials capable of performing in these challenging conditions, carbon and graphite-based materials have played a critical role for decades while continuing to enable and innovate modern space exploration.

From carbon ablatives that play a crucial role in heat shields and propulsion systems to structural graphite components and ultra-pure graphitic elements, carbon materials are uniquely suited to survive and perform in high temperature regimes that exceed the limits of metals and ceramics.  The performance of these materials is directly linked to the heat treatment and processing steps used during their manufacture.  The relationship between processing conditions and final product performance is driven by the technical foundations for heat treating carbon and graphite materials for space travel through the precursor conversion, graphitization, and purification steps.