Progress of research on preparation of carbon/carbon composite material by the chemical liquid vapor infiltration method

The chemical liquid vapor infiltration (CLVI) method for fabricating carbon/carbon (C/C) composite is reviewed. The principles of the method and the rapid-deposition reasons are outlined. The recently improved CLVI methods are summarized based on the shape of preformation, and the heating systems of the susceptor, as well as the precursor. The influences of the difference parameters, for instance the preparation mode, temperature and precursor, on the microstructure of C/C are introduced. The trend of the CLVI method in the future is also discussed. It is shown that the present CLVI methods are not satisfactory for industrial fabrication of C/C composites. The emphasis for the future development of CLVI will focus on multiple-sample deposition, lower energy consumption and a high utilization ratio of the precursor.