What’s PPS LCF20?

PPS LCF20 is a thermoplastic composite material similar to PPS+LCF10% but with a higher carbon fiber content. It uses polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) as the base material, enhanced with 20% long carbon fibers. This increased fiber content provides even greater mechanical strength, rigidity, and thermal stability compared to PPS LCF10. The manufacturing process for PPS LCF20 typically involves melt mixing and injection molding to ensure uniform dispersion of the fibers and effective material processing.

Characteristics

1. PPS LCF20 has a significantly higher carbon fiber content of 20%, which is a notable increase compared to PPS LCF10. This higher fiber content gives it a distinct advantage in terms of structural integrity and performance.
2. It provides greatly enhanced mechanical strength, enabling it to withstand heavy loads and stress without deformation or failure. The rigidity it offers is also superior, making it suitable for applications that require stability and durability.
3. The enhanced thermal stability of PPS LCF20% means it can endure high temperatures without losing its mechanical properties or undergoing significant degradation. This is crucial for applications in environments with extreme heat.
4. The base material, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), is known for its excellent chemical resistance and high-temperature tolerance. Combined with the long carbon fibers, it forms a powerful composite material.
5. The manufacturing process typically involves melt mixing and injection molding. Melt mixing ensures that the carbon fibers are uniformly dispersed throughout the PPS matrix, maximizing the material’s performance. Injection molding allows for the production of complex shapes with high precision and efficiency.
6. Ensuring uniform dispersion of fibers is essential for effective material processing. This results in a consistent and reliable product with predictable properties. It also helps to optimize the material’s mechanical and thermal characteristics, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.

How to Produce it?

1. Material Prep
– Matrix Material: PPS, a high-temperature and chemical-resistant thermoplastic.
– Reinforcement Material: Long carbon fibers (typically 10-30 mm) to boost strength and stiffness.

2. Fiber Pretreatment
Before impregnation, long carbon fibers are usually prepped to ensure good adhesion to the PPS matrix. This includes cleaning to remove impurities and oils from the fiber surface and surface modification (chemical or plasma treatment) to improve bonding.

3. Matrix Material Prep
PPS, usually in pellet or powder form, needs to be melted. This involves heating to its melting temp (typically 280-320°C) to turn it into a flowable molten state and then uniformly mixing it using mixing devices.

4. Impregnation Process
The pretreated long carbon fibers are dipped in the molten PPS. Bubble removal methods like vacuum degassing or low-pressure treatment are used to ensure good impregnation.

5. Cooling and Solidification
The impregnated mixture cools down to solidify the PPS. This can be done through natural or forced cooling. Ensure complete solidification for stability.

6. Post-Processing
After solidification, the composite can be cut and shaped as needed. It undergoes performance tests to ensure it meets specs.

7. Application
The impregnated PPS LCF10 composite can be used in high-performance applications like automotive parts, electronic device casings, aerospace components, etc.

Learn more details about impregnation manufacturing methods for long carbon reinforced thermoplastics, please click here.

Applied in Combustion Chamber Liner

Carbon Xiamen New Material Company has launched the PPS LCF20 composite material, which has been successfully applied to the combustion chamber liner of the latest rocket engine.

PPS LCF20 is reinforced with 20% long carbon fibers, enabling it to exhibit excellent performance in high-temperature and high-pressure environments. In this rocket engine, the combustion chamber faces extreme working conditions – with a temperature as high as 850°C and a pressure exceeding 150 bars.

The excellent high-temperature tolerance and outstanding mechanical strength of PPS LCF20 make it an ideal choice. Experimental data shows that the tensile strength of this material at 850°C has increased by 30%, while its weight has been reduced by 20%, significantly enhancing the thrust-to-weight ratio of the engine.

In addition, the low water absorption rate and excellent corrosion resistance of PPS LCF20 ensure the long-term stability of the combustion chamber in harsh environments.

The rocket engine applying this material not only breaks through technical bottlenecks in performance but also extends the maintenance cycle by 40%. This innovative application promotes the progress of aerospace technology and provides higher reliability and efficiency for future rocket launches.