Tex Tech Industries specializes in delivering high-performance textiles like rayon-based carbon fabrics (RBCF). We are a leading material manufacturer in the U.S. and have supported new and evolving programs for the Department of Defense and NASA since the birth of these products.
We provide these high-performing fabrics for components and equipment ranging from rocket nozzles to reentry heat shields. Our rayon-based textiles can be combined with phenolic resins for use in ablative applications. These composites offer excellent thermal performance and reliable ablation characteristics for the extreme environments faced during use.
What Is Rayon-Based Carbon Fabric?
Rayon is a textile material made from regenerated wood pulp cellulose. Rayon-based carbon cloth offers lower thermal conductivity compared to most carbon-based materials, making it suitable for thermal protection systems used in aerospace applications.
Producing RBCF is a unique process that begins by spinning pulp made from pine trees into rayon fibers. We manufacture rayon fibers into a textile, such as felt or woven fabric. Finally, a carbonization process turns the rayon fabric into carbon or graphite.
Rayon can undergo additional manufacturing processes to meet specific project requirements. For instance, RBCF can be treated with phenolic resin and made into bias tapes. Felt materials can undergo resin impregnation, chemical vapor infiltration treatments, or treatments like ceramic matrix composites.
At Tex Tech, we believe quality comes from providing products that offer reliable performance and ideal properties to best support your needs. Our rayon-based fabrics offer impressive characteristics during use, including:
- Excellent thermal stability
- Reduced thermal conductivity
- Exceptional ablative characteristics
- Good strength-to-weight ratio
- Resistance to many chemicals
Rayon-Based Carbon Fabric Applications
RBCF is most often used in defense and aerospace applications. Its thermal and chemical resistance support key functions in various components, equipment, and systems that must withstand exposure to extreme conditions.
This high-performance material continues to grow in popularity among applications building or utilizing emerging technology. Continuous filament rayon fabrics are used to manufacture carbon cloth phenolic tapes used in tape-wrap composite parts. These materials are also used to manufacture re-entry heat shields, solid-fueled rocket nozzles, and other components. Tex Tech continues to supply many Department of Defense and commercial programs that utilize continuous filament woven rayon fabrics.
RCBF is also ideal for producing thermal protection systems. In this case, a rayon felt is made into billets to produce components and tiles. These materials are then carbonized and infiltrated or infused to meet the demands of the specified mission.
Why Choose Rayon-Based Carbon Fabric?
Composites made from rayon-based carbon materials offer several benefits compared to other common materials in the aerospace and defense industry. RBCF can protect structural components in commercial vehicles and realize the following during operation:
- Low thermal expansion
- Low thermal conductivity
- Good performance in high temperatures
- Reliable and consistent ablative characteristics
- Compatibility with phenolic resins
- Lightweight construction
Why Work With Tex Tech?
Tex Tech is committed to providing quality, high-purity materials. We can carbonize fabrics into carbon cloth or graphite cloth. We also have in-house tape wrapping to form re-entry heat shields, nozzle components, and other conical and non-conical composite parts.
Our rayon-based carbon billets can be utilized in various TPS (thermal protection system) components, including tiles. Tex Tech can manufacture raw rayon felts, carbonize them, or graphitize them to address specific product requirements. We can also use our CVI (chemical vapor infusion) furnaces to infiltrate billets with a carbon matrix to increase the material’s density.
Rayon-Based Carbon Fabric From Tex Tech
Tex Tech delivers a range of rayon-based carbon solutions for various aerospace applications, including thermal protection systems, re-entry heat shields, and rocket nozzles. Our materials offer excellent ablative characteristics and resistance that aerospace and defense programs can rely on.
Our continuous filament rayon fabrics have supported solid rocket boosters in space shuttles and continue to be the material of choice for numerous Department of Defense applications, as well as NASA’s Space Launch System/Artemis program.
Contact us or request a quote to speak with a specialist about your RBCF needs.