Thermal expansion of cross-ply and woven carbon fibre-copper matrix composites

This paper presents thermal expansion data for cross-ply and woven copper m atrix-carbon fibre composites (Cu-C-f MMCs) that were prepared by diffusion bonding. Thermal expansion was measured in two perpendicular in-plane dire ctions of plate samples. For cross-ply samples (57 vol.%fibres) the mean co efficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between -20 and 300 degreesC changed f rom approximately 6.5 x 10(-6)/degreesC to 3.5 x 10(-6)/degreesC during hea ting/cooling. The in-plane CTE increases with decreasing fibre content. Com posites with woven arrangement of carbon fibres show a slightly higher CTE at elevated temperature. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved .