Composites

M.T.A. Cebra is a small company fully dedicated to composites structures design, development and production, including high precision workmanship on the hardware.
Thanks to suitable plants and technologies, also the following specific special materials can be addressed:

• carbon-carbon composites
• carbon/silicon carbide composites

Carbon based composites consist of highly-ordered graphite fibers embedded in a carbon matrix. C based composites are made by gradually building up a carbon matrix on a fiber preform through a series of impregnation and pyrolysis steps or chemical vapor deposition. C based composites tend to be stiffer, stronger and lighter than steel or other metals.

The preferred method to create the matrix: through chemical vapor deposition plant. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) begins with a preform in the desired shape of the part, usually formed from several layers of woven carbon fabric. The preform is heated in a furnace pressurized with an organic gas, such as methane, acetylene or benzene. Under high heat and pressure, the gas decomposes and deposits a layer of carbon onto the carbon fibers. The gas must diffuse through the entire preform to make a uniform matrix, so the process is very slow, often requiring several weeks and several processing steps to make a single part.

The specific applications for carbon based composite materials are in the field of thermal protection of re-entry vehicles and nuclear research plant.