Method of making carbonized composites

1. A method of producing a fiber reinforced polymer matrix composite, the method comprising:

forming a polymerized fiber reinforced composite, the polymerized fiber reinforced composite comprising a cured thermoset polymer matrix and at least one reinforcement material,

wherein a thermoset polymer forming the cured thermoset polymer matrix comprises at least one polymer represented by chemical formula (I) or (II) or (III)

wherein:

m and n are each an integer greater than or equal to 1,

at least one of R 1 or R 2 comprises an aromatic moiety, and

X is selected from the group consisting of CH 2 , NH, O, S, SO 2 , and combinations thereof, and

wherein the reinforcement material is carbon fiber or ceramic fiber; and

treating at least a portion of a first face of the polymerized fiber reinforced composite with electromagnetic radiation to raise the temperature of the portion of the first face to at least 800° C. to produce a surface layer of graphitized carbon on the first face of the polymerized fiber reinforced composite and a bulk polymerized fiber reinforced composite representing the polymerized fiber reinforced composite not treated with the electromagnetic radiation,

wherein the surface layer of graphitized carbon comprises an electrical conductivity of 0.25 S m −1 to 2.5 S m −1 ; and

wherein the surface layer of graphitized carbon comprises a thermal conductivity that is greater than a thermal conductivity of the bulk polymerized reinforced composite.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation is applied at a power density of 0.05 W/mm 2 to 0.75 W/mm 2 and delivered at a total energy density to the first face of 0.5 J/mm 2 to 2.5 J/mm 2 .

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement material is carbon fiber.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation is produced from a laser with a wavelength range from 690 to 1064 nm.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation is generated with a plasma arc lamp operating at a power range from 10,000 W to 25,000 W and a wavelength range from 200 to 1400 nm.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermal conductivity of the surface layer of graphitized carbon ranges from 25-500 W m −1 K −1 .

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the surface layer of graphitized carbon ranges from 0.05 to 2 mm.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least 90% of the first face of the polymerized fiber reinforced composite is treated with the electromagnetic radiation such that the surface layer of graphitized carbon extends across at least 90% of the first face of the polymerized fiber reinforced composite.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first face of the polymerized fiber reinforced composite is treated with the electromagnetic radiation in a defined pattern such that electrically and thermally conductive traces form the surface layer of graphitized carbon.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the electrically and thermally conductive traces cover less than 50% of the area of the first face of the polymerized fiber reinforced composite.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement material is ceramic fiber.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement material is ceramic fiber selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide fiber, basalt fiber, and their combination.