Patent ID: 8448685

Claim:
A system comprising: a housing; a first conductive press plate coupled to the housing and being electrically insulated therefrom; a second conductive press plate supported by the housing opposite the first conductive press plate and being electrically insulated from the housing, wherein at least one of the first and second conductive press plates are translatable toward the opposite press plate, the first and second press plates being adapted to hold a carbon-carbon assembly between the first and second press plates, the carbon-carbon assembly comprising first and second carbon composites and a reactant layer between at least a portion of surfaces of the first and second carbon composites; a first die base, wherein the first conductive press plate is mounted to the first die base, dielectric material being positioned between the first conductive press plate and the first die base; a second die base, wherein the second conductive press plate is mounted to the second die base, dielectric material being positioned between the second conductive press plate and the second die base; a clamping device operatively coupled to at least one of the first and second conductive press plates, wherein the clamping device is configured to transmit a force to the first and second conductive press plates to compress the first and second carbon composites and the reactant layer between the press plates when the carbon-carbon assembly is positioned between the first and second press plates; and a power supply operatively coupled to the first and second conductive press plates and configured to create an electric potential across the first and second conductive press plates while the clamping device transmits the force to the first and second press plates, wherein the electric potential is configured to increase a temperature of the reactant layer when the carbon-carbon assembly is positioned between the first and second press plates.