In order to study the impact of atmosphere during electron beam irradiation (EBI) of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor fibers, the latter were stabilized by EBI in both air and oxygen atmospheres. Gel-fraction determination indicated that EBI-stabilization under an oxygen atmosphere leads to an enhanced cyclization in the PAN fibers. In the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis, the PAN fibers stabilized by EBI under an oxygen atmosphere exhibited a greater decrease in the peak intensity at 2244 cm-1 (C≡N vibration) and a greater increase in the peak intensity at 1628 cm-1 (C=N absorption) than the corresponding PAN fibers stabilized under an air atmosphere. From the X-ray diffraction analysis it was found that oxygen uptake in PAN fibers leads to an increase in the amorphous region, produced by cyclization.

The process of oxidizing polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fibers converts them into an infusible and non-flammable state prior to carbonization. This represents one of the most important stages in determining the mechanical properties of the final carbon fibers, but the most commonly used methods, such as thermal treatment (200°C to 300°C), tend to waste a great deal of process time, money, and energy. There is therefore a need to develop more advanced oxidation methods for PAN precursor fibers. In this review, we assess the viability of electron beam, gamma-ray, ultra-violet, and plasma treatments with a view to advancing these areas of research and their industrial application.