Reinforced carbon–carbon

It was developed for the reentry vehicles of intercontinental ballistic missiles, and is most widely known as the material for the nose cone and wing leading edges of the Space Shuttle orbiter.

While it is less brittle than many other ceramics, it lacks impact resistance; Space Shuttle Columbia was destroyed during atmospheric re-entry after one of its RCC panels was broken by the impact of a piece of polyurethane foam insulation that broke off from the Space Shuttle External Tank.

The binder loses volume in the process, causing voids to form; the addition of aggregate reduces this problem, but does not eliminate it.

Third, the voids are gradually filled by forcing a carbon-forming gas such as acetylene through the material at a high temperature, over the course of several days.

This long heat treatment process also allows the carbon to form into larger graphite crystals, and is the major reason for the material's high cost.

Pieces of reinforced carbon–carbon including a panel removed from the wing of Space Shuttle Atlantis , [ 1 ] showing brittle failure of C/C due to foam impact reproducing a possible event during Columbia 's final launch .
The Dunlop carbon brakes as used on the Concorde airliner.
The brake disc of this Ferrari race car's braking system is made from carbon fibre-reinforced silicon carbide which is a CMC rather than a C/C