Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-1993

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Mechanical Engineering

Major Professor

M. Keyhani

Committee Members

R. V. Arimilli, M. Parang

Abstract

Two carbon phenolic materials, designated MX 4926 and FM 5055, are experimentally and numerically investigated for mass loss by decomposition, moisture content, and thermal response. A two dimensional transient model is used to calculate temperature, pressure, and decomposition in the polymer with various boundary conditions for comparison with the experimental results from heating and weighing the samples of the carbon phenolics. The amount of moisture initially contained in a carbon phenolic material and the time required to release the moisture are measured for MX 4926. The mass loss and surface temperature of FM 5055 and MX 4926 samples in a furnace at a number of different temperatures are recorded. A known heat flux is applied to FM 5055 samples to measure the temperature versus time at several locations within the sample. Numerical predictions of mass loss and temperature distribution are compared with the experimental data for verification of the code and its boundary conditions and input material properties. It was found that 3.1% of the initial mass of the MX 4926 material tested is water. The surface temperature and mass loss for both thin and thick blocks of FM 5055 and MX 4926 provide a means of verifying the two dimensional heating aspects of the numerical code. Heat fluxes applied to the FM 5055 show the importance of material properties in predicting the transient response of the carbon phenolic material with a reasonable accuracy.

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