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In this work, braided carbon fiber reinforced carbon matrix composites (3D-C/C composites) are prepared by chemical vapor infiltration process. Their composite structure, mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and in vivo experiments are investigated and compared with those of traditional 2.5D-C/C composites and titanium alloys TC4. The results show that 3D-C/C composites are composed of reinforced braided carbon fiber bundles and pyrolytic carbon matrix and provide 51% open pores with a size larger than 100 μm for tissue adhesion and growth. The Young’s modulus of 3D-C/C composites is about 5 GPa, much smaller than those of 2.5D-C/C composites and TC4, while close to the autogenous bone. 3D-C/C composites have a higher tensile strength (167 MPa) and larger elongation (5.0%) than 2.5D-C/C composites (81 MPa and 0.7%), and do not show obvious degradation after 1 × 106 cyclic tensile loading. The 3D-C/C composites display good biocompatibility and have almost no artifacts on CT imaging. The in vivo experiment reveals that 3D-C/C composites artificial ribs implanted in dogs do not show displacement or fracture in 1 year, and there are no obvious proliferation and inflammation in the soft tissues around 3D-C/C composites implant. Our findings demonstrate that 3D-C/C composites are suitable for chest wall reconstruction and present great potentials in artificial bones.

Carbon fiber preforms were pre-heat treated at 2100 °C and then filled with smooth laminar (SL) pyrocarbon matrix by isothermal chemical vapor infiltration. The microstructure and flexural properties of carbon/carbon (C/C) composites after heat treatment from 1800 to 2500 °C were investigated. The microstructure investigation indicated that heat treatment did not affect the extinction angle, but resulted in distinct interfacial cracks and concentric cracks in the SL pyrocarbon. Three-point bending tests revealed that the flexural strength of the C/C composites decreased rapidly from 221 to 108 MPa after treated at 2100 °C. This can be explained that the multiple interfacial debonding and concentric cracks lead to poor stress transfer capabilities and high stress concentration. The flexural strength increased back to 126 MPa when the composites were heat treated under a higher temperature at 2500 °C. This phenomenon was attributed to cracks bridging in the debonding region and the thin high-textured layer at the fiber-matrix interface. Keywords: Carbon/carbon composites, Pyrocarbon, Heat treatment, Mechanical properties

Brazing between the carbon–fiber–reinforced carbon composite (C/C composite) and copper has gained increasing interest because of its important application in thermal management systems in nuclear fusion reactors and in the aerospace industry. In order to examine the “interfacial shape effect” on the mechanical properties of the joint, straight and conical interfacial configurations were designed and machined on the surface of C/C composites before joining to copper using an Ag-68.8Cu-4.5Ti (wt pct) alloy. The microstructure and interfacial microchemistry of C/C composite/AgCuTi/Cu brazed joints were comprehensively investigated by using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The results indicate that the joint region of both straight and conical joints can be described as a bilayer. Reaction products of Cu3Ti3O and γ-TiO were formed near the copper side in a conical interface joint, while no reaction products were found in the straight case. The effect of Ag on the interfacial reaction was discussed, and the formation mechanism of the joints during brazing was proposed. On the basis of the detailed microstructure presented, the mechanical performance of the brazed joints was discussed in terms of reaction and morphology across the joint.

As an important manufacturing process for Mg-alloy components, high pressure die casting (HPDC) has attracted considerable attention. However, the application of magnesium alloy high pressure die castings is limited by variations in the mechanical properties, which can be ascribed to a heterogeneous distribution of microstructure. In this work, the through-thickness distribution of the microstructure features (i.e. grain size, β-phase and porosity) of HPDC AM60 alloy and their effects on the strain heterogeneity and the microhardness variation were carefully investigated. The results show that the HPDC AM60 alloy exhibited a gradient structured microstructure, i.e., two skin layers sandwiching a core layer. The skin was mainly comprised of fine grains (diameter ≤10 μm), whereas the core predominately consisted of externally solidified crystals (ESCs). Furthermore, the skin shows higher number and area fractions of β-Mg17Al12 particles. Heterogeneous through-thickness distribution of microhardness was observed in the as-cast sample, and the skin showed higher the microhardness than the core. β-Phase was the primary factor accounting for heterogeneous distribution of microhardness. In the as-cast sample, strain heterogeneity was measured at strain of 3% using digital image correlation (DIC) method. The strain in the skin regions was homogeneous, whereas significant strain heterogeneity was presented in the core. After T4 treatment, remarkable strain heterogeneity was still observed, indicating that β-phase did not have profound effect on deformation heterogeneity. Strain localized at the interdendritic regions of ESCs and the vicinity of grain boundaries in fine-grained regions, where porosity occurred. This illustrates that porosity was the primary factor inducing strain localization.