Ablation resistance of resin matrix composites modified with different MAX-phase materials

Thermal protection system (TPS) is an important requirement for aerospace craft. In this study, novel carbon-phenolic composites with Ti 3 SiC 2 and Ti 3 AlC 2 modifications were prepared, and their ablation behavior was studied. With modification using Ti 3 AlC 2 particles, the linear ablation rate of the composites was reduced by 94% compared with that of conventional carbon-phenolic composites. A coating composed of TiO 2 and Al 2 TiO 5 could form during ablation, leading to the substantial mitigation of oxidation. Ti 3 AlC 2 has been proved to have a better modification effect than Ti 3 SiC 2 through comparing the micro-morphologies and linear ablation rate. In addition, an increase in the volume ratio of the resin and Ti 3 AlC 2 particles could further improve the coverage fraction of the formed coating and the ablation resistance.