Model-free kinetics applied to the oxidation properties and mechanism of three-dimension carbon/carbon composite

In the present paper, non-isothermal oxidation properties and mechanism of three-dimension carbon/carbon composite (abbreviated as: C/C composite) were investigated by means of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The activation energy (Eα) of C/C composite oxidation reaction was calculated as a function of conversion (α), by using Vyazovkin and Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (F–W–O) model-free kinetic method, which allows to estimate oxidation mechanism of C/C composite. The results show that the non-isothermal oxidation properties of composite exhibits a self-catalytic characteristic, which is explained through a schematic model; the oxidation reaction of composite is a complex process, firstly controlled by chemistry reaction and then controlled by chemical reaction and gas diffusion together, the corresponding Ea is calculated also.