# US 12,006,594 B2 · Quad-polymer precursor for producing carbon fiber, method for producing same and method for using same

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- Number: US 12,006,594 B2
- Document ID: US12006594B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/217,822
- Filed: 2023-07-03
- Published: 2023-11-09
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2017-05-10
- Assignees: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System; Korea Institute of Carbon Convergence Technology
- Applicants: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System; Korea Institute of Carbon Convergence Technology
- Inventors: Min Hye Jung; Hyun Kyu Shin; Kyu Soon Park; Duck Joo Yang; Benjamin Batchelor; Samsuddin Mahmood
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12006594B2

## CPC

- D01F 6/38: comprising unsaturated nitriles as the major constituent
- C01B 32/05: Preparation or purification of carbon not covered by groups C01B32/15, C01B32/20, C01B32/25, C01B32/30
- C08F 220/14: Methyl esters {, e.g. methyl (meth)acrylate}
- C08F 220/44: Acrylonitrile
- C08F 220/48: with nitrogen-containing monomers
- D01D 5/08: Melt spinning methods {(D01D5/0023 takes precedence)}
- D01F 9/22: from polyacrylonitriles
- C08F 220/46: with carboxylic acids, sulfonic acids or salts thereof
- D01F: CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBON FILAMENTS
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}
- C08F: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS
- D01D: MECHANICAL METHODS OR APPARATUS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS

## Abstract

A quad-polymer composition includes monomers of (a) acrylonitrile, (a) vinylimidazole, (c) methyl acrylate and (d) either acrylic acid or itaconic acid. Such quad-polymer compositions may be used to form fibers (such as by melt spinning) that may then be annealed, stabilized, and/or carbonized to produce carbon fibers. The quad-polymer composition may be used for supercapacitors, lithium battery electrodes once carbonized, and as synthesized, it may be used for wound healing fibers, fabrics, coatings, and films, and anti-bacterial/anti-microbial fibers, fabrics, coatings and films. The carbon fibers formed from the quad-polymer composition may be used for the fiber composites for automobile, aerospace structures, marine structures, military equipment/parts, sporting goods, robotics, furniture, and electronic parts.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device or product comprising a fiber comprising a quad-polymer composition, wherein the quad-polymer composition comprises a chemical structure selected from the group consisting of:
wherein
(i) X, Y, Z, and M are wt % of the quad-polymer composition,
(ii) X+Y+Z+M=100%, and
(iii) n is an integer number of repeating units of the chemical structure.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device or product of claim 1, wherein the quad-polymer composition has the chemical structure of:

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The device or product of claim 2, wherein
(a) X is in a range from 0.1 to 40.0 wt %;
(b) Y is in a range from 50.0 to 99.0 wt %;
(c) Z is in a range from 0.1 to 50.0 wt %; and
(d) M is in a range from 0.1 to 40.0 wt %.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The device or product of claim 2, wherein
(a) X is in a range from 0.1 to 10.0 wt %;
(b) Y is in a range from 60.0 to 95.0 wt %;
(c) Z is in a range from 2.5 to 30.0 wt %; and
(d) M is in a range from 0.1 to 10.0 wt %.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The device or product of claim 2, wherein
(a) X is in a range from 0.1 to 5.0 wt %;
(b) Y is in a range from 70.0 to 92.5 wt %;
(c) Z is in a range from 2.5 to 25.0 wt %; and
(d) M is in a range from 0.1 to 5.0 wt %.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The device or product of claim 1, wherein the quad-polymer composition having the chemical structure of:

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The device or product of claim 6, wherein
(a) X is in a range from 0.1 to 40.0 wt %;
(b) Y is in a range from 50.0 to 99.0 wt %;
(c) Z is in a range from 0.1 to 50.0 wt %; and
(d) M is in a range from 0.1 to 40.0 wt %.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The device or product of claim 6, wherein
(a) X is in a range from 0.1 to 10.0 wt %;
(b) Y is in a range from 60.0 to 95.0 wt %;
(c) Z is in a range from 2.5 to 30.0 wt %; and
(d) M is in a range from 0.1 to 10.0 wt %.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The device or product of claim 6, wherein
(a) X is in a range from 0.1 to 5.0 wt %;
(b) Y is in a range from 70.0 to 92.5 wt %;
(c) Z is in a range from 2.5 to 25.0 wt %; and
(d) M is in a range from 0.1 to 5.0 wt %.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The device or product of claim 1, wherein
(a) the quad-polymer composition has a molecular weight ranging from 18 KDa to 200 KDa, and
(b) the quad-polymer composition has a polydispersity index (PDI) ranging from 1.2 to 3.0.

### Claim 11

A carbon fiber composition prepared from a quad-polymer comprising (a) between 70 and 92.5 wt % of an acrylonitrile monomer, (b) between 0.1 and 5.0 wt % of a vinylimidazole monomer, (c) between 2.5 and 25.0 wt % of a methyl acrylate monomer, and (d) between 0.1 and 5.0 wt % of an acid monomer, wherein the acid monomer is an acrylic acid monomer or an itaconic acid monomer, and wherein
(i) the carbon fiber composition is prepared by melt spinning, stabilizing and carbonizing, and
(ii) the carbon fiber composition has a diameter ranging between 0.5 μm and 150 μm.