Relations between X-ray tomography, density and mechanical properties in carbon–carbon composites Original Research Article

A 2.5D laminated carbon–carbon composite was studied in the present work. Measurements of density were made by a non-contact and non-destructive method: X-ray tomography. The experimental procedure and artefact correction are described in detail in this paper. The mechanical characterisation was made by tensile, compression, and torsional tests. The role of oxidation on mechanical properties for all these stress states was estimated. The link between the mechanical properties and the changes induced by oxidation of the material density was established. Overall, oxidation leads to a reduction of the initial moduli. This work shows also that X-ray tomography is a good tool for measuring, by a non-destructive method, the material density over a given volume. Potentially, the results obtained by destructive mechanical tests on laboratory specimens and by non-destructive X-ray tomography techniques on large scale parts can be put together in order to estimate, in a non-destructive way, the mechanical properties in some locations of that part.