WO2024018144A1 - Method for preparing a composite material having a carbon matrix - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing a part made of a composite material having a carbon matrix, the method comprising: • - impregnating a fibrous preform (21) of the part to be obtained with an impregnation suspension (22) comprising polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon precipitates in a liquid medium, so as to obtain a fibrous preform (31) loaded with the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon precipitates; and • - pyrolysing the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon precipitates in the loaded fibrous preform so as to form a carbon matrix; • and wherein the method further comprises, before the impregnation step: • - preparing the impregnation suspension, involving supplying a capture product comprising a capture solvent and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the dissolved state in the capture solvent, and a step of precipitating the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the capture solvent.

Description

Description

Title of the invention: process for preparing a carbon matrix composite material.

Technical area

The invention relates to the field of processes for preparing parts made of composite material and more specifically carbon matrix composite materials.

Prior art

Composite material parts are experiencing growing technological interest for their particular properties.

Such materials consist of a fibrous preform, reinforced by a matrix. The final properties of a composite material depend on the one hand on the fibrous preform, in particular on the nature of the fibers and the properties of the weave, and on the other hand on the nature of the matrix formed in this fibrous preform .

The different possible choices make it possible to specifically choose the properties of a composite material for the intended application.

Carbon matrix composite materials are for example used as friction parts.

It is known to obtain parts made of carbon matrix composite material by chemical infiltration or by chemical vapor deposition. Such methods use a carbon-rich reactive gas phase brought into contact with porous substrates under conditions such that the gas phase can react in contact with the substrate to form a matrix in the porosities of the substrates. The choice of gas constituting the gas phase and the temperature and pressure conditions prevailing in the oven determine the nature of the matrix formed within the composite material parts.

However, such processes also generate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). To meet environmental constraints, these Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are generally trapped at the end of the process, for example in a capture solvent such as an oil.

Although it is known from the prior art to regenerate capture solvents, to reduce their consumption, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are still considered waste.

Such waste increases the cost and ecological footprint of the processes for preparing carbon matrix composite materials.

There therefore remains a need for processes for preparing carbon matrix composite materials whose cost and ecological footprint are reduced.

Presentation of the invention

The method of the invention aims to respond to the need formulated above.

To do this, it proposes a process for manufacturing a part made of carbon matrix composite material, comprising:

- an impregnation of a fibrous preform of the part to be obtained by an impregnation suspension comprising precipitates of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a liquid medium, so as to obtain a fibrous preform loaded with said precipitates of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and

- pyrolysis of said precipitates of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the charged fibrous preform so as to form a carbon matrix.

Unlike the processes of the prior art, in such a process, the carbon matrix is not formed by a gaseous carbon phase, but by the direct reuse of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, usually considered as waste.

This reduces the cost and ecological footprint of the final part made of carbon matrix composite material.

Preferably, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons used in a process of the invention are chosen from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons having a molecular mass greater than or equal to 200 g. mol ¹ . In one embodiment, the method may comprise, before impregnation, a preparation of the impregnation suspension comprising the provision of a capture product comprising a capture solvent and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the dissolved state in the capture solvent, and a step of precipitating the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the capture solvent.

The step of precipitating polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the capture solvent can be initiated in several ways.

In one embodiment, the precipitation step may be a selective extraction step of the capture solvent.

Such selective extraction of the capture solvent leads to reducing the quantity of capture solvent in the capture product, the quantity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons remaining substantially the same.

Selective extraction continues until the solubility limit of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is exceeded, and the initially dissolved polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons then precipitate.

In addition, continuing the step of selective extraction of the capture solvent makes it possible to increase the size of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon precipitates.

In one embodiment, the step of precipitating the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the capture solvent can be carried out by introducing activated carbon optionally comprising an additive in a mass content of between 0% and 50% relative to the mass of carbon. active.

Indeed, activated carbon has an affinity for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons dissolved in the capture product.

The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons then gather around the activated carbon introduced, which causes the agglomerates of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons thus formed to become heavier. The larger agglomerates formed by the introduction of activated carbon have a lower solubility limit than the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons initially dissolved in the capture solvent, which causes their precipitation.

Also, the addition of activated carbon does not harm the matrix phase finally formed once the pyrolysis has been carried out, because the added activated carbon will also make it possible to form the carbon matrix by pyrolysis.

In one embodiment, the additive optionally added to the activated carbon for the precipitation step may be a carbon/carbon composite material in the form of a powder, for example machining waste from friction parts made of carbon composite material. /powdered carbon, for example powdered brake disc machining waste.

The use of such an additive to activated carbon allows the recovery of a part considered in the prior art as waste without in any way compromising the role played by the activated carbon in precipitation.

This has the effect of reducing the environmental footprint and the cost of the process as a whole.

In one embodiment, the additive is a powder of a carbon/carbon composite material, for example machining waste from a brake disc, and is present in a content of between 1% and 50% relative to to the mass of activated carbon.

In one embodiment, the two steps which have just been described can be carried out jointly, that is to say the precipitation step can comprise a selective extraction of the solvent and an addition of activated carbon.

In one embodiment, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon precipitates in the impregnation suspension have an average size greater than or equal to 5 μm.

By “average size”, we designate the dimension given by the statistical particle size distribution to half of the population, called D50.

The “size” of a particle is understood as its greatest dimension of extension. Such an average size can be determined by statistical counting according to methods known as such, for example by statistical counting on representative samples observed by optical microscope, or even by scanning electron microscope.

The inventors have noted that the particular choice of this lower limit of the average diameter ensures excellent infiltration of the preform on the one hand and good formation of the matrix phase.

Also, when a step of preparing the impregnation suspension is carried out, the choice of this minimum size for the precipitates makes it possible to know, by simple microscopic observation of the suspension, if the precipitates present in the liquid medium are of a satisfactory size or if it is necessary to continue the precipitation step, for example by repeating the selective extraction step or by adding more activated carbon.

In one embodiment, the capture product may be a capture oil used to capture effluent gas from an infiltration or chemical vapor deposition process.

Indeed, the by-products of an infiltration or chemical vapor deposition process are precisely polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons trapped in a capture solvent which it is possible to valorize by the process of the invention.

For example, the capture solvent may be dibenzyletoluene.

In one embodiment, the precipitation step is carried out by selective extraction of the capture solvent by liquid-liquid extraction.

For example, selective extraction of the capture solvent by liquid/liquid extraction can be carried out by introducing into the capture product a transfer liquid in which the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are very poorly soluble, but for which the capture solvent has greater affinity.

The introduction of the transfer liquid into the capture product causes a demixing forming two phases. The first phase includes the transfer fluid and a part of the capture solvent, and the second essentially comprises the remainder of the capture solvent and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

The two phases can be separated, for example by decantation.

We thus obtain a phase comprising less capture solvent than the capture product but almost as much polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as previously, because the affinity of the latter for the transfer liquid is very low.

In addition, the solubility of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons for the transfer liquid is lower as the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have a high molar mass.

Thus, even if a very small part of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are extracted with the transfer liquid, those of low mass will be preferentially extracted. Consequently, the phase comprising the majority of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is concentrated in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of higher molar mass, which is beneficial for the impregnation suspension.

If necessary, by repeating several times the steps of introducing a transfer liquid into the capture product and separating the two phases formed, the precipitation of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the capture solvent is obtained.

We therefore succeed in preparing an impregnation suspension comprising polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon precipitates in a liquid medium.

In one embodiment, the density of the phase comprising the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons can be monitored to ensure the progress of the precipitation of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

The density is on the one hand a parameter which can be measured simply and precisely, and on the other hand a parameter which gives a good account of the quantity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons present in the impregnation solution. In one embodiment, the density of the impregnation solution may be greater than or equal to 1.15 times the density of the capture solvent, preferably greater than or equal to 1.2 times the density of the capture solvent.

Such a density ensures that the quantity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the impregnation suspension is optimal to allow easy impregnation of the fibrous preform and that the quantity of matrix available is sufficient.

In one embodiment, the method may comprise a step of regenerating a transfer liquid having carried out the liquid-liquid extraction and comprising extracted capture solvent.

Such regeneration makes it possible to reduce the consumption of transfer liquid during the process.

In one embodiment, regeneration of the transfer liquid may include separation of the transfer liquid from the extracted capture solvent by distillation and recondensation.

For example, the regeneration can be carried out on the phase comprising a transfer liquid and a capture solvent obtained by selective extraction of the capture solvent by liquid-liquid extraction described above.

In one embodiment, the separation of the transfer liquid from the capture solvent extracted by distillation and recondensation makes it possible to obtain on the one hand the transfer liquid alone and on the other hand the capture solvent alone.

Each of the transfer liquid and capture solvent thus recovered can be reused in a process where they are useful. For example, the transfer liquid thus regenerated can be reused directly for a liquid-liquid extraction step as described.

The choice of a regeneration comprising a separation of the transfer liquid from the capture solvent extracted by distillation and recondensation is preferred when one wishes to have a very pure transfer liquid. Indeed, the distillation is very selective and makes it possible to recover each of the transfer liquid and the capture solvent with a high degree of purity.

In one embodiment, the regeneration may include separating the transfer liquid from the extracted capture solvent by cooling a mixture comprising the transfer liquid and the capture solvent.

Cooling reduces the miscibility between the transfer liquid and the capture solvent, so that a demixing occurs between a transfer liquid phase comprising capture solvent at its solubility limit, and a solvent phase of capture comprising transfer liquid at its solubility limit.

This cooling, to obtain a separation between the transfer liquid and the capture solvent, is all the more effective as the temperature difference is significant between the cooled mixture and the original mixture, that is to say the temperature of the mixture just formed by liquid-liquid extraction.

Thus, a regeneration comprising a cooling step is even more effective in an embodiment where the liquid-liquid extraction, described above and at the origin of the mixture between the transfer liquid and the capture solvent, is carried out in temperature.

The two phases can be separated by decantation.

This regeneration process does not make it possible to recover each of the transfer liquid and the capture solvent as pure as the regeneration process comprising a separation of the transfer liquid from the capture solvent extracted by distillation and recondensation as described above.

However, such a regeneration process is much less expensive in energy than a regeneration process comprising a separation step by distillation and recondensation.

In addition, the transfer liquid comprising a little capture solvent can be reused as is in a liquid-liquid extraction step which has been described. Also, the quantity of transfer liquid present in the capture solvent can be sufficiently low so that the capture solvent remains usable as such without requiring an additional step. In one embodiment, and if necessary, the phase comprising the capture solvent comprising transfer liquid at its solubility limit can itself be distilled and recondensed to recover a pure capture solvent.

Given the quantity of transfer liquid initially present in this phase, such a step is much less costly in energy terms than a separation by distillation and recondensation which would not be preceded by a cooling step as has just been described.

In one embodiment, the fibrous preform may comprise carbon fibers.

In one embodiment, the part may be a friction part.

In one embodiment, the part can for example be a brake disc.

Brief description of the drawings

[Fig. 1] Figure 1 schematically represents an example of tooling for carrying out a method of the invention.

[Fig. 2] Figure 2 schematically represents the tooling of Figure 1 after formation of the loaded preform.

[Fig. 3] Figure 3 schematically represents an example of a process for preparing an impregnation suspension.

[Fig. 4] Figure 4 schematically represents another example of a process for preparing an impregnation suspension.

Description of embodiments

The invention is now described by means of figures, presented for descriptive purposes to illustrate certain embodiments of the invention and which should not be interpreted as limiting the latter.

Figures 1 and 2 describe a device 10 allowing the performance of an impregnation step of a process of the invention. Figure 1 represents the device 10 at the start of such a process, and Figure 2 represents the device 10 at the end of the process. Identical numbering in the figures refers to identical elements. Figure 1 represents an enclosure 20, in which a fibrous preform 21 is placed on a filter 25, itself placed on a separation 24, which makes it possible to provide a free space 26 below the filter 25.

To carry out a process of the invention, an impregnation suspension 22 comprising precipitates of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a liquid medium can be placed above the preform 21.

The device 10 further comprises a vacuum channel 23 connected to a vacuum device which is not shown here. Such a device can for example be a pump.

Figure 2 represents the device 10 of the invention after the space 26 has been evacuated.

Vacuuming the space 26 by means of a vacuum device connected to the channel 23 makes it possible to create a depression in the space 26 below the preform so as to suck the impregnation suspension 22 through of the preform 21 and through the filter 25.

As an alternative to placing the space 26 under vacuum, and according to an embodiment which is not shown here, the impregnation of the preform 21 with the impregnation suspension 22 can be carried out by means of a pressurizing the impregnation suspension 22 initially placed above the preform 21, in order to pass the latter through the preform and through the filter 25.

As an alternative to placing the space 26 under vacuum, and according to an embodiment which is not shown here, the impregnation of the preform 21 with the impregnation suspension 22 can be carried out by percolation of the suspension. impregnation 22 initially placed above the preform 21, that is to say by the work of the force of gravity without the addition of additional work, in particular in the form of putting under pressure or under vacuum for example.

The work of the force of gravity causes the impregnation suspension 22 to pass through the preform 21 and through the filter 25.

A preform 31 loaded with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon precipitates is thus obtained and the liquid medium of the impregnation suspension 32 is collected in space 26. The presence of the filter 25 prevents the precipitates of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons initially present in the suspension 22 from simply passing through the preform 21, and retains the latter in the porosity of the preform 21 to form a loaded preform 31. In the case illustrated, we a elimination of part of the liquid medium from the preform by drainage through the filter 25. This elimination can be completed during the pyrolysis heat treatment.

Once the loaded preform 31 has been obtained, the latter can be pyrolyzed to obtain the formation of a carbon matrix in the porosity of the loaded preform 31.

Such pyrolysis is a step known as such, and is not described in detail here. A temperature of between 800°C and 1000°C can typically be imposed, for example greater than or equal to 900°C during pyrolysis. We can of course repeat the impregnation step with an impregnation and pyrolysis suspension if desired in order to increase the density of the composite. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other methods are possible for introducing the precipitates of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons into the porosity of the preform, such as for example avoiding a filter by producing finer porosity near a face of the preform to drain the liquid medium and retain the precipitates.

Figure 3 represents a step of preparing the impregnation suspension carried out by liquid-liquid extraction, and further comprising a step of regenerating the transfer liquid having carried out the liquid-liquid extraction.

In Figure 3, a capture product 101, comprising a capture solvent and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the dissolved state in the capture solvent, is placed in the presence of a transfer liquid 102 for carrying out an extraction liquid-liquid 100.

The liquid-liquid extraction 100 makes it possible to obtain, after demixing and separation, two phases 301 and 201.

The first phase 301 comprises the capture solvent in which the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have precipitated, and the second phase 201 comprises transfer liquid mixed with capture solvent. The part of the capture solvent taken up by the transfer liquid during the liquid-liquid extraction 100 in phase 301 comprising the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons leads to the precipitation of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in phase 301.

As described above, by removing part of the capture solvent from the capture product, without reducing the quantity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in phase 301 is greater than in the capture product.

As the liquid-liquid extraction proceeds, the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in phase 301 eventually exceeds the solubility limit of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which then precipitate.

Phase 301, comprising a suspension of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon precipitates in a liquid medium, here the capture solvent, can be used as an impregnation solution for the purposes of a process according to the invention.

Figure 3 further comprises a step 200 of regenerating the transfer liquid.

For this, a step of separating the transfer liquid from the extracted capture solvent can be carried out by distillation and recondensation.

According to the classic principle of distillation, the mixture 201 comprising a mixture of transfer liquid and capture solvent is heated. The transfer liquid does not have the same evaporation temperature as the capture solvent, it evaporates first when the mixture 201 is heated.

We can then recondense the vapors obtained by heating the mixture 201, which are transfer liquid vapors, to have at the end of the regeneration step 200 on the one hand regenerated transfer liquid 102, and on the other hand part of the capture solvent 302.

In one embodiment, the transfer liquid 102 may be chosen from an alcohol, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone or dimethyl sulfoxide.

These transfer liquids are in fact particularly selective of usual capture solvents, and in particular dibenziltoluene. However, the transfer liquid must be chosen according to the desired selectivity rate for the extraction step, and the chemical nature of the capture solvent and is in no way limited to the compounds described.

Also, a distillation is described for the case where the transfer liquid has a lower boiling temperature than that of the transfer solvent, but the physicochemical principles underlying the distillation would work just as well in the opposite case, provided that the boiling temperatures of the two compounds are different.

Figure 4 also describes a liquid-liquid extraction step 400 followed by a transfer liquid regeneration step 500 and a capture solvent purification step 600.

A capture product 401 comprising a capture solvent and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the dissolved state in the capture solvent, is placed in the presence of a transfer liquid 402 for carrying out a liquid-liquid extraction 400.

The liquid-liquid extraction 400 makes it possible to obtain, after demixing and separation, two phases 701 and 501.

The first phase 701 comprises the capture solvent in which the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have precipitated, and the second phase 501 comprises transfer liquid mixed with capture solvent.

The part of the capture solvent taken up by the transfer liquid during the liquid-liquid extraction 400 in phase 701 comprising the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons leads to the precipitation of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in phase 701.

Phase 701, comprising a suspension of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon precipitates in a liquid medium, here the capture solvent, can be used as an impregnation solution for the purposes of a process according to the invention.

The second phase 501 comprising the transfer liquid mixed with the capture solvent then undergoes cooling 500.

Cooling 500 causes a reduction in the solubility between the capture solvent and the transfer liquid, leading to demixing. After cooling 500 and demixing, two phases 402 and 601 are obtained.

The first phase 402 comprises transfer liquid containing, at its solubility limit, capture solvent.

This phase can then be reused directly in a liquid-liquid extraction step 400.

Although the transfer liquid 402 coming from the cooling step 500 includes a little capture solvent, it nonetheless remains capable of capturing more capture solvent than it already includes if it is directly reused in a liquid-liquid extraction 400.

In one embodiment, to increase the affinity of the capture solvent for the transfer liquid, and therefore reduce the influence of the small loading of capture solvent already present in the transfer liquid 402, the liquid extraction step - liquid 400 can be produced hot.

As described above, performing the liquid-liquid extraction step hot makes cooling even more effective in separating the transfer liquid from the capture solvent.

Thus, in an embodiment where the regeneration step comprises a separation of the transfer liquid from the capture solvent extracted by cooling a mixture 501 comprising the transfer liquid and the capture solvent, the liquid extraction step -liquid is preferably carried out at temperature.

Conversely, in an embodiment where the liquid-liquid extraction is carried out hot, the regeneration step, if present, preferably comprises a separation of the transfer liquid from the captured solvent extracted by cooling. Furthermore, the embodiment of Figure 4 will be preferred when the capture product 401 comprises a high concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, because it is then necessary to remove less capture solvent from the capture product 401 to obtain the precipitation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which further reduces the influence of the little capture solvent already present in the transfer liquid 402, and allows the use of a less pure transfer liquid.

On the contrary, we will prefer to use the embodiment of Figure 3 when the capture product 101 comprises a small hydrocarbon load. polycyclic aromatics. Indeed, it is then necessary to remove more capture solvent from the capture product 101 to obtain the impregnation solution 301.

The second phase 601 obtained by cooling 500 comprises capture solvent containing, at its solubility limit, transfer liquid.

In order to recover a maximum of purified capture solvent, a purification step 600 can be envisaged making it possible to obtain the purified capture solvent 702. Such a step 600 can be a distillation which makes it possible to create vapors of transfer liquid, which are not shown in the figure, and which are thus separated from the capture solvent, which generally has a lower boiling temperature.

The quantity of transfer liquid in the second phase 601 of cooling 500 is very low.

Moreover, depending on the purity requirements of the capture solvent, the purification step 600 can be optional, and in one embodiment, the capture solvent comprising a little transfer liquid 601 is capable of being reused directly in as a capture solvent.

The step of preparing the impregnation solution which has been described in connection with Figures 3 and 4 is not limited by the origin, nature or loading rate of the capture product 101, 401, provided that this the latter comprises at least one polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in a liquid medium.

In one embodiment, the capture product may be a capture oil used for a chemical vapor infiltration densification process.

Claims

Claims [Claim 1] Process for manufacturing a part made of carbon matrix composite material, comprising: - an impregnation of a fibrous preform (21) of the part to be obtained by an impregnation suspension (22) comprising precipitates of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a liquid medium, so as to obtain a charged fibrous preform (31) by said polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon precipitates, and - a pyrolysis of said precipitates of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the fibrous preform loaded so as to form a carbon matrix, and in which the process further comprises, before impregnation, a preparation of the impregnation suspension comprising the provision of a capture product (101, 401) comprising a capture solvent and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the dissolved state in the capture solvent, and a step of precipitating the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the capture solvent. [Claim 2] A method according to claim 1, wherein the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon precipitates have an average size greater than or equal to 5 pm. [Claim 3] The method of claim 2, wherein the precipitation step is carried out by selective extraction of the capture solvent by liquid-liquid extraction (100). [Claim 4] The method of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises regeneration (200, 500) of a transfer liquid having performed the liquid-liquid extraction and comprising extracted capture solvent (201). [Claim 5] The method of claim 4, wherein the regeneration (200) comprises separation of the transfer liquid from the extracted capture solvent by distillation and recondensation. [Claim 6] The method of claim 4, wherein the regeneration (500) comprises separating the transfer liquid from the extracted capture solvent by cooling a mixture (501) comprising the transfer liquid and the capture solvent. [Claim 7] Method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the preform comprises carbon fibers. [Claim 8] Method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in which the part is a friction part.