A 2D Carbon/Carbon composite is envisaged for structural parts, operating between 150 and 400°C, in civil aircraft. In this temperature range, the durability of these materials remains unknown because they have never been developed for this kind of applications. A first approach allowed us to correlate the chemical reactivity of the elemental constituents (fiber and matrix) to their structural organization. Then, thermal ageing tests performed on the composite material have demonstrated that a low rate of oxidation could be responsible to a significant reduction of residual mechanical properties. Cracks and fiber/matrix debonding resulting to the elaboration process create an extended pathway to a preferential oxidation of the most reactive compound. This latter is followed by a premature failure by delamination. The reduction of the material properties over long periods is finally discussed in order to evaluate its ability to replace metallic materials in aircraft structural parts.
