Thermo-oxidative stability studies of Celion 6000/PMR-15 unidirectional composites, PMR-15, and Celion 6000 fiber

Experimental results on the influence of the thermooxidative resistance characteristics of the fiber and matrix resin on the thermal stability of isothermally aged Celion 6000/PMR-15 matrix resin composites are presented. SEM studies reveal that extreme oxidative erosion of the graphite fiber occurs at elevated temperatures in the presence of the polyimide matrix. The activation energy of oxidation of the composite was shown to be greater than those of the fiber and the matrix resin.