Conversion of Modified Commercial Polyacrylonitrile Fibers to Carbon Fibers
Carbon fibers are fabricated from different materials,
such as special polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers, rayon fibers and pitch.
Among these three groups of materials, PAN fibers are the most
widely used precursor for the manufacture of carbon fibers. The
process of fabrication carbon fibers from special PAN fibers includes
two steps; oxidative stabilization at low temperature and
carbonization at high temperatures in an inert atmosphere. Due to the
high price of raw materials (special PAN fibers), carbon fibers are
still expensive.
In the present work the main goal is making carbon fibers from
low price commercial PAN fibers with modified chemical
compositions. The results show that in case of conducting completes
stabilization process, it is possible to produce carbon fibers with
desirable tensile strength from this type of PAN fibers. To this
matter, thermal characteristics of commercial PAN fibers were
investigated and based upon the obtained results, with some changes
in conventional procedure of stabilization in terms of temperature
and time variables; the desirable conditions of complete stabilization
is achieved.
[1] P. J. Walsh, ASM Handbook-Composites. Ohio: ASM International,
2001, pp. 49-53.
[2] V. I. Kostikov, Fiber Science and Technology. London; Chapman and
Hall, 1995.
[3] S. S. Chair, O.P. Bahl, and R. B. Mathur, "Characterization of acrylic
fibers used for making carbon fibers", Fiber Science and Technology,
vol. 15, pp. 153-160, 1981.
[4] J. C. Masson, Acrylic Fiber Technology and Applications. New York:
Marcel Dekker, 1995.
[5] P. Rajalingam, and G. Radhakrishnan, "Polyacrylonitrile precursor for
carbon fibers", JMS-Rev. Macromol. Chem. Phys., C31, p. 301, 1991.
[6] O. P. Bahl, and L. M. Manocha, "Development of high performance
carbon fibers from PAN fibers", Chemical Age of India, vol. 38, p. 181,
1987.
[7] D. D. Edie, "The effect of processing on the structure and properties of
carbon fibers", Carbon, vol. 36, p. 345, 1998.
[8] R. Eslami Farsani, A. Shokuhfar, and A. Sedghi, "Carbon fiber
production based on commercial polyacrylonitrile fibers of wet
formation", Fiber Chemistry, vol. 38, pp. 383-386, 2006.
[9] K. K. Garg, "Poly-acrylonitrile and copolymers", Synthetic Fibers, Apr.
/Jun., p. 29, 1985.
[10] D. C. Gupta, "Acrylic fibers-polymerization", Synthetic Fibers, Oct.
/Dec., p. 14, 1984.
[11] D. Spaseska, Influence of precursor prehistory on carbon fiber
characteristics, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University Kiril
and Metodij, Skopje, Yugoslavia, pp. 149-159.
[12] W. Sweeny, "Cyclization of acrylic fiber", EP. No. 0169690 B1, 1989.
[13] M. T. Azarova, A. A. Konkin, and V. M. Bondarenko, "Study of thermal
conversions of polyacrylonitrile fibers", International Symposium on
Chemical Fibers, USSR, 1974, p. 56.
[14] R. C. Bansal, and J. B. Donnet, Comprehensive Polymer Science:
Polymer Reactions. Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1990.
[15] E. Fitzer and W. Frohs, "The influence of carbonization and post
treatment conditions on the properties of PAN - based carbon fibers",
International Carbon Conference, U.K., 18-23 Sept. 1988, pp. 298-300.
[16] E. Fitzer, "PAN based carbon fibers - present state and trend of the
technology from the viewpoint of possibilities and limits to influence
and to control the fiber properties by the process parameters", Carbon,
vol. 27, pp. 621-645, 1989.
[1] P. J. Walsh, ASM Handbook-Composites. Ohio: ASM International,
2001, pp. 49-53.
[2] V. I. Kostikov, Fiber Science and Technology. London; Chapman and
Hall, 1995.
[3] S. S. Chair, O.P. Bahl, and R. B. Mathur, "Characterization of acrylic
fibers used for making carbon fibers", Fiber Science and Technology,
vol. 15, pp. 153-160, 1981.
[4] J. C. Masson, Acrylic Fiber Technology and Applications. New York:
Marcel Dekker, 1995.
[5] P. Rajalingam, and G. Radhakrishnan, "Polyacrylonitrile precursor for
carbon fibers", JMS-Rev. Macromol. Chem. Phys., C31, p. 301, 1991.
[6] O. P. Bahl, and L. M. Manocha, "Development of high performance
carbon fibers from PAN fibers", Chemical Age of India, vol. 38, p. 181,
1987.
[7] D. D. Edie, "The effect of processing on the structure and properties of
carbon fibers", Carbon, vol. 36, p. 345, 1998.
[8] R. Eslami Farsani, A. Shokuhfar, and A. Sedghi, "Carbon fiber
production based on commercial polyacrylonitrile fibers of wet
formation", Fiber Chemistry, vol. 38, pp. 383-386, 2006.
[9] K. K. Garg, "Poly-acrylonitrile and copolymers", Synthetic Fibers, Apr.
/Jun., p. 29, 1985.
[10] D. C. Gupta, "Acrylic fibers-polymerization", Synthetic Fibers, Oct.
/Dec., p. 14, 1984.
[11] D. Spaseska, Influence of precursor prehistory on carbon fiber
characteristics, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University Kiril
and Metodij, Skopje, Yugoslavia, pp. 149-159.
[12] W. Sweeny, "Cyclization of acrylic fiber", EP. No. 0169690 B1, 1989.
[13] M. T. Azarova, A. A. Konkin, and V. M. Bondarenko, "Study of thermal
conversions of polyacrylonitrile fibers", International Symposium on
Chemical Fibers, USSR, 1974, p. 56.
[14] R. C. Bansal, and J. B. Donnet, Comprehensive Polymer Science:
Polymer Reactions. Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1990.
[15] E. Fitzer and W. Frohs, "The influence of carbonization and post
treatment conditions on the properties of PAN - based carbon fibers",
International Carbon Conference, U.K., 18-23 Sept. 1988, pp. 298-300.
[16] E. Fitzer, "PAN based carbon fibers - present state and trend of the
technology from the viewpoint of possibilities and limits to influence
and to control the fiber properties by the process parameters", Carbon,
vol. 27, pp. 621-645, 1989.
@article{"International Journal of Chemical, Materials and Biomolecular Sciences:52439", author = "R. Eslami Farsani and A. Shokuhfar and A. Sedghi", title = "Conversion of Modified Commercial Polyacrylonitrile Fibers to Carbon Fibers", abstract = "Carbon fibers are fabricated from different materials,
such as special polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers, rayon fibers and pitch.
Among these three groups of materials, PAN fibers are the most
widely used precursor for the manufacture of carbon fibers. The
process of fabrication carbon fibers from special PAN fibers includes
two steps; oxidative stabilization at low temperature and
carbonization at high temperatures in an inert atmosphere. Due to the
high price of raw materials (special PAN fibers), carbon fibers are
still expensive.
In the present work the main goal is making carbon fibers from
low price commercial PAN fibers with modified chemical
compositions. The results show that in case of conducting completes
stabilization process, it is possible to produce carbon fibers with
desirable tensile strength from this type of PAN fibers. To this
matter, thermal characteristics of commercial PAN fibers were
investigated and based upon the obtained results, with some changes
in conventional procedure of stabilization in terms of temperature
and time variables; the desirable conditions of complete stabilization
is achieved.", keywords = "Modified Commercial PAN Fibers, Stabilization,
Carbonization, Carbon Fibers.", volume = "1", number = "11", pages = "119-4", }