Oxygen reactivity of a carbon fiber composite

Carbon Fiber Composites (CFCs) are often suggested as armor material for the first wall of a fusion plasma chamber due to carbon's low atomic number, high thermal conductivity, and high melting point. However, carbon is chemically reactive in air and will react with ingress air during a Loss of Vacuum Accident and release tritium fuel that has been retained in the carbon. Tritium mobilization and carbon monoxide generation via CFC oxidation are both safety concerns. This paper discusses chemical reactivity experiments that were performed using the state-of-the-art 3-dimensional NB31 CFC produced by SNECMA and a laminar reaction gas of Ar-21 vol% O₂. Oxidation reaction rates were measured for CFC temperatures of 525, 600, 700, 800, 900, and 1000 °C and a 100 standard cubic centimeters per minute (sccm) Ar-O₂ flow rate. Experiments were also performed at CFC temperatures of 700 and 1000 °C and a 1000 sccm Ar-O₂ flow rate. Mass spectral analyses of the exhaust reaction gas suggested that carbon monoxide was the primary reaction at the CFC surface and carbon dioxide was readily produced in the exiting reaction gas. The measured reaction rates compare well with the literature and were used to produce a CFC oxidation curve that is recommended for use in fusion safety analyses.