Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fibers have high specific strength, elastic modulus, thermal resistance, and thermal conductivity. Due to these properties, they have been increasingly widely used in various spheres including leisure, aviation, aerospace, military, and energy applications. However, if exposed to air at high temperatures, they are oxidized, thus weakening the properties of carbon fibers and carbon composite materials. As such, it is important to understand the oxidation reactions of carbon fibers, which are often used as a reinforcement for composite materials. PAN-based carbon fibers T300 and T700 were isothermally oxidized in air, and microstructural changes caused by oxidation reactions were examined. The results showed a decrease in the rate of oxidation with increasing burn-off for both T300 and T700 fibers. The rate of oxidation of T300 fibers was two times faster than that of T700 fibers. The diameter of T700 fibers decreased linearly with increasing burn-off. The diameter of T300 also decreased with increasing burn-off but at slower rates over time. Cross-sectional observations after oxidation reactions revealed hollow cores in the longitudinal direction for both T300 and T700 fibers. The formation of hollow cores after oxidation can be traced to differences in the fabrication process such as the starting material and final heat treatment temperature.

In the present study, exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (xGnP) with different particle sizes were coated onto polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fibers by a direct coating method. The flexural properties, interlaminar shear strength, and the morphology of the xGnP-coated carbon fiber/phenolic matrix composites were investigated in terms of their longitudinal flexural strength and modulus, interlaminar shear strength, and by optical and scanning electron microscopic observations. The results were compared with a phenolic matrix composite counterpart prepared without xGnP. The flexural properties and interlaminar shear strength of the xGnP-coated carbon fiber/phenolic matrix composites were found to be higher than those of the uncoated composite. The flexural and interlaminar shear strengths were affected by the particle size of the xGnP, while the particle size had no significant effect on the flexural modulus. It seems that the interfacial contacts between the xGnP-coated carbon fibers and the phenolic matrix play a role in enhancing the flexural strength as well as the interlaminar shear strength of the composites.

This review presents current progress in the preparation methods of liquid crystalline nanocarbon materials and the liquid crystalline spinning method for producing nano-carbon fibers. In particular, we focus on the fabrication of liquid crystalline carbon nanotubes by spinning from superacids, and the continuous production of macroscopic fiber from liquid crystalline graphene oxide.

This study fabricated low thermal conductive polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fibers containing cellulose particles while maintaining their mechanical properties. The high thermal conductivity of carbon fibers limits their application as a high temperature insulator in various systems such as an insulator for propulsion parts in aerospace or missile systems. By controlling process parameters such as the heat treatment temperature of the cellulose particles and the amount of cellulose added, the thermal and mechanical properties of the PANbased carbon fibers were investigated. The results show that it is possible to manufacture composite carbon fibers with low thermal conductivity. That is, thermal conductivities were reduced by the cellulose particles in the PAN based carbon fibers while at the same time, the tensile strength loss was minimized, and the tensile modulus increased.

In recent decades, there has been an increasing interest in the use of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) in aerospace, renewable energy and other industries, due to its low weight and relatively good mechanical properties compared with traditional metals. However, due to the high cost of petroleum-based precursors and their associated processing costs, CF remains a specialty product and as such has been limited to use in high-end aerospace, sporting goods, automotive, and specialist industrial applications. The high cost of CF is a problem in various applications and the use of CFRP has been impeded by the high cost of CF in various applications. This paper presents an overview of research related to the fabrication of low cost CF using polyethylene (PE) control technology, and identifies areas requiring additional research and development. It critically reviews the results of cross-linked PE control technology studies, and the development of promising control technologies, including acid, peroxide, radiation and silane cross-linking methods.

Carbon fibers are prepared by stabilizing pitch fibers accompanying electron beam (E-beam) irradiation. The carbon fibers pretreated by E-beam irradiation achieve a higher stabilization index than the carbon fibers that are only heat-stabilized. In addition, the carbon fibers subjected to E-beam irradiation in the stabilization step exhibit a comparable tensile strength to that of general purpose carbon fibers. The carbon fibers pretreated with an absorbed dose of 3000 kGy have a tensile strength of 0.54 GPa for a similar fiber diameter. Elemental, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analyses indicate that Ebeam irradiation is an efficient oxidation and dehydrogenation treatment for pitch fibers by showing that the intensity of the aliphatic C–H stretching and aromatic CH2 bending (out-ofplane) bands significantly decrease and carbonyl and carboxylic groups form.

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.

This study highlights a novel method and mechanism for the rapid and effective milling of carbon fibers (CFs) in silicon carbide (SiC) powder, and also the dispersion of CFs in SiC powder. The composite powders were prepared by chopping and exfoliation of CFs, and ball milling of CFs and SiC powder in isopropyl alcohol. A wide range of CFs loading, from 10 to 50 vol%, was studied. The milling of CFs and SiC powder was checked by measuring the average particle size of the composite powders. The dispersivity of CFs in SiC powder was checked through scanning electron microscope. The results show that the usage of exfoliated CF tows resulted in a rapid and effective milling of CFs and SiC powder. The results further show an excellent dispersion of CFs in SiC powder for all CFs loading without any dispersing agent.

Pitch is an attractive raw material for carbon fiberprecursors due to its low cost stemming from its availability as a residue of coking and petroleum processes. Ford Motor Company reported a carbon fibertarget price of 11.0/kg by using a fast cycle-time manufacturing method with carbon fiberin an inexpensive format, allowing for an average retail price of gasoline of 3.58/gallon. They also recommended the use of carbon fiberwith strength of 1700 MPa, modulus of 170 GPa, and 1.5% elongation. This study introduced a ca. 5.5 μm carbon fiberwith 2000 MPa tensile strength obtained from a precursor through simple distil-lation of petroleum residue. Petroleum pitch based carbon nanofibersprepared via electros-pinning were characterized and potential applications were introduced on the basis of their large specific surface area and relatively high electrical conductivity.

High-quality β-silicon carbide (SiC) coatings are expected to prevent the oxidation degradation of carbon fibers in carbon fiber/silicon carbide (C/SiC) composites at high temperature. Uniform and dense β-SiC coatings were deposited on carbon fibers by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LP-CVD) using silane (SiH4) and acetylene (C2H2) as source gases which were carried by hydrogen gas. SiC coating layers with nanometer scale microstructures were obtained by optimization of the processing parameters considering deposition mechanisms. The thickness and morphology of β-SiC coatings can be controlled by adjustment of the amount of source gas flow, the mean velocity of the gas flow, and deposition time. XRD and FE-SEM analyses showed that dense and crack-free β-SiC coating layers are crystallized in β-SiC structure with a thickness of around 2 micrometers depending on the processing parameters. The fine and dense microstructures with micrometer level thickness of the SiC coating layers are anticipated to effectively protect carbon fibers against the oxidation at high-temperatures.

Coal tar is the primary feedstock of premium graphitizable carbon precursor. Coal tars are residues formed as byproducts of thermal treatments of coal. Coal tar pitches were prepared through two different heat treatment schedules and their properties were characterized. One was prepared with argon and oxidation treatment with oxygen; the other was prepared with oxygen treatment at low temperature and then argon treatment at high temperature; both used coal tar to prepare coal tar pitches. To modulate the properties, different heat treatment temperatures (300~400˚C) were used for the coal tar pitches. The prepared coal tar pitches were investigated to determine several properties, such as softening point, C/H ratio, coke yield, and aromaticity index. The coal tar pitches were subject to considerable changes in chemical composition that arose due to polymerization after heat treatment. Coal tar pitch showed considerable increases in softening point, C/H ratio, coke yields, and aromaticity index compared to those characteristics for coal tar. The contents of gamma resin, which consists of low molecular weight compounds in the pitches and is insoluble in toluene, showed that the degree of polymerization in the pitches was proportional to C/H ratio. Using an oxidizing atmosphere like air to prepare the pitches from coal tar was an effective way to increase the aromaticity index at relatively low temperature.

In this work, the effect of catalysts on the mechanical properties of carbon fibers-reinforced epoxy matrix composites cured by cationic latent thermal catalysts, i.e., N-benzylpyrazinium hexafluoroantimonate (BPH) was studied. Differential scanning calorimetry was executed for thermal characterization of the epoxy matrix system. Mechanical interfacial properties of the composites were studied by interlaminar shear strength (ILSS), critical stress intensity factor (KIC), and specific fracture energy (GIC). As a result, the conversion of neat epoxy matrix cured by BPH was higher than that of one cured by diaminodiphenyl methane (DDM). The ILSS, KIC, GIC, and impact strength of the composites cured by BPH were also superior to those of the composites cured by DDM. This was probably the consequence of the effect of the substituted benzene group of BPH catalyst, resulting in an increase in the cross-link density and structural stability of the composites studied.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have exceptional mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties compared with those of commercialized high-performance fibers. For use in the form of fabrics that can maintain such properties, individual CNTs should be held together in fibers or made into yarns twisted out of the fibers. Typical methods that are used for such purposes include (a) surfactant-based coagulation spinning, which injects a polymeric binder between CNTs to form fibers; (b) liquid-crystalline spinning, which uses the nature of CNTs to form liquid crystals under certain conditions; (c) direct spinning, which can produce CNT fibers or yarns at the same time as synthesis by introducing a carbon source into a vertical furnace; and (d) forest spinning, which draws and twists CNTs grown vertically on a substrate. However, it is difficult for those CNT fibers to express the excellent properties of individual CNTs as they are. As solutions to this problem, post-treatment processes are under development for improving the production process of CNT fibers or enhancing their properties. This paper discusses the recent methods of fabricating CNT fibers and examines some post-treatment processes for property enhancement and their applications.

Carbon materials were synthesized by pyrolysis from fibers of Corn-straw (Zea mays), Rice-straw (Oryza sativa), Jute-straw (Corchorus capsularis) Bamboo (Bombax bambusa), Bagass (Saccharum officinarum), Cotton (Bombax malabaricum), and Coconut (Cocos nucifera); these materials were characterized by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectra. All carbon materials are micro sized with large pores or channel like morphology. The unique complex spongy, porous and channel like structure of Carbon shows a lot of similarity with the original anatomy of the plant fibers used as precursor. Waxy contents like tyloses and pits present on fiber tracheids that were seen in the inherent anatomy disappear after pyrolysis and only the carbon skeleton remained; XRD analysis shows that carbon shows the development of a (002) plane, with the exception of carbon obtained from bamboo, which shows a very crystalline character. Raman studies of all carbon materials showed the presence of G- and D-bands of almost equal intensities, suggesting the presence of graphitic carbon as well as a disordered graphitic structure. Carbon materials possessing lesser density, larger surface area, more graphitic with less of an sp3 carbon contribution, and having pore sizes around 10μm favor hydrogen adsorption. Carbon materials synthesized from bagass meet these requirements most effectively, followed by cotton fiber, which was more effective than the carbon synthesized from the other plant fibers.

In this present work, the effect of additional heat-treatment (AHT) in the range from 1800℃ to 2400℃ on the chemical composition, morphology, microstructure, tensile properties, electrical resistivity, and thermal stability of commercial polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fibers was explored by means of elemental analysis, electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, single fiber tensile testing, two-probe electrical resistivity testing, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The characterization results were in agreement with each other. The results clearly demonstrated that AHTs up to 2400℃ played a significant role in further contributing not only to the enhancement of carbon content, fiber morphology, and tensile modulus, but also to the reduction of fiber diameter, inter-graphene layer distance, and electrical resistivity of "as-received" carbon fibers without AHT. The present study suggests that key properties of commercial PAN-based carbon fibers of an intermediate grade can be further improved by proprietarily adding heat-treatment without applying tension in a batch process.

Kenaf fibers, cellulose-based natural fibers, were used as precursor for preparing kenafbased carbon fibers. The effects of carbonization temperature (700℃ to 1100℃) and chemical pre-treatment (NaOH and NH4Cl) at various concentrations on the thermal change, chemical composition and fiber morphology of kenaf-based carbon fibers were investigated. Remarkable weight loss and longitudinal shrinkage were found to occur during the thermal conversion from kenaf precursor to kenaf-based carbon fiber, depending on the carbonization temperature. It was noted that the alkali pre-treatment of kenaf with NaOH played a role in reducing the weight loss and the longitudinal shrinkage and also in increasing the carbon content of kenaf-based carbon fibers. The number and size of the cells and the fiber diameter were reduced with increasing carbonization temperature. Morphological observations implied that the micrometer-sized cells were combined or fused and then re-organized with the neighboring cells during the carbonization process. By the pre-treatment of kenaf with 10 and 15 wt% NaOH solutions and the subsequent carbonization process, the inner cells completely disappeared through the transverse direction of the kenaf fiber, resulting in the fiber densification. It was noticeable that the alkali pre-treatment of the kenaf fibers prior to carbonization contributed to the forming of kenaf-based carbon fibers.

Two pitches with different average molecular structures were electrospun and compared in terms of the properties of their fibers after oxidative stabilization, carbonization, and activation. The precursor with a higher molecular weight and greater content of aliphatic groups (Pitch A) resulted in better solubility and spinnability compared to that with a lower molecular weight and lower aliphatic group content (Pitch B). The electrical conductivity of the carbon fiber web from Pitch A of 67 S/cm was higher than that from Pitch B of 52 S/cm. The carbon fiber web based on Pitch A was activated more readily with lower activation energy, resulting in a higher specific surface area compared to the carbon fiber based on Pitch B (Pitch A, 2053 m2/g; Pitch B, 1374 m2/g).

Activated carbon fibers (ACFs) were prepared from cost effective commercial textiles through stabilization, carbonization, and subsequently activation by carbon dioxide. ACFs were characterized for surface area and pore size distribution by physical adsorption of nitrogen at 77 K. ACFs were also examined for various surface characteristics by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and CHNO elemental analyzer. The prepared ACFs exhibited good surface textural properties with well developed micro porous structure. With improvement in physical strength, the commercial textile grade acrylic precursor based ACFs developed in this study may have great utility as cost effective adsorbents in environmental remediation applications.

Synthesis of carbon fibers from cotton fiber by pyrolysis process has been described. Synthesis parameters are optimized using Taguchi optimization technique. Synthesized carbon fibers are used for studying hydrogen adsorption capacity using Seivert's apparatus. Transmission electron microscopy analysis and X-ray diffraction of carbon fiber from cotton suggested it to be very transparent type material possessing graphitic nature. Carbon synthesized from cotton fibers under the conditions predicted by Taguchi optimization methodology (no treatment of cotton fiber prior to pyrolysis, temperature of pyrolysis 800℃, Argon as carrier gas and paralyzing time for 2 h) exhibited 7.32 wt% hydrogen adsorption capacity.