Hybrid carbon nanofibers products and methods of fabricating the same

A device, comprising:

• a hybrid carbon nanofiber (Cnf) product that comprises a plurality of carbon nanofibers and a plurality of particles dispersed throughout the plurality of carbon nanofibers,
• the hybrid Cnf product being flexible,
• the hybrid Cnf product having a thermal conductivity of at least 1 Watt per meter per Kelvin (W/m-K) at all temperatures in a range of from 100° C. to 800° C.,
• the carbon nanofibers being polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers,
• the particles being present in the hybrid Cnf product at a weight percentage of about 50 wt %,
• the hybrid Cnf product being prepared by a method comprising:
• performing an electrospinning process on an electrospinning solution to give an intermediate product, the electrospinning solution comprising PAN and the particles;
• and
• performing a carbonization process on the intermediate product to give the hybrid Cnf product,
• the carbonization process being performed under a vacuum condition,
• the carbonization process comprising:
• disposing the intermediate product on a surface of a predetermined shape;
• and
• performing an initial heating stage on the intermediate product on the surface at a first predetermined temperature for a first predetermined time, a plurality of intermediate heating stages on the intermediate product on the surface at respective predetermined temperatures for respective predetermined times, and a cooling stage on the intermediate product on the surface to cool the intermediate product from the predetermined temperature of a last stage of the plurality of intermediate heating stages to an ambient temperature,
• the initial heating stage and the plurality of intermediate heating stages being performed under the vacuum condition,
• the plurality of intermediate heating stages comprising at least four intermediate heating stages,
• the first predetermined temperature being in a range of from 200° C. to 250° C.,
• the respective predetermined temperature of a first three heating stages of the plurality of intermediate heating stages being in a range of from 200° C. to 280° C., and
• the respective predetermined temperature of a last heating stage of the plurality of intermediate heating stages being about 800° C.

A hybrid carbon nanofiber (Cnf) product, comprising:

• a plurality of carbon nanofibers;
• and
• a plurality of particles dispersed throughout the plurality of carbon nanofibers,
• the hybrid Cnf product being flexible, and
• the hybrid Cnf product having a thermal conductivity of at least 1 Watt per meter per Kelvin (W/m-K) at all temperatures in a range of from 100° C. to 800° C.,
• the particles being ultra-high temperature ceramic (UHTC) hafnium carbide (HfC) nanoparticles,
• the hybrid Cnf product being a hybrid Cnf mat,
• the carbon nanofibers being polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers,
• the particles being present in the hybrid Cnf product at a weight percentage of about 50 wt %,
• the hybrid Cnf product being prepared by a method comprising:
• performing an electrospinning process on an electrospinning solution to give an intermediate product, the electrospinning solution comprising PAN and the particles;
• and
• performing a carbonization process on the intermediate product to give the hybrid Cnf product,
• the carbonization process being performed under a vacuum condition,
• the carbonization process comprising:
• disposing the intermediate product on a surface of a predetermined shape;
• and
• performing an initial heating stage on the intermediate product on the surface at a first predetermined temperature for a first predetermined time, a plurality of intermediate heating stages on the intermediate product on the surface at respective predetermined temperatures for respective predetermined times, and a cooling stage on the intermediate product on the surface to cool the intermediate product from the predetermined temperature of a last stage of the plurality of intermediate heating stages to an ambient temperature,
• the initial heating stage and the plurality of intermediate heating stages being performed under the vacuum condition,
• the plurality of intermediate heating stages comprising at least four intermediate heating stages,
• the first predetermined temperature being in a range of from 200° C. to 250° C.,
• the respective predetermined temperature of a first three heating stages of the plurality of intermediate heating stages being in a range of from 200° C. to 280° C., and
• the respective predetermined temperature of a last heating stage of the plurality of intermediate heating stages being about 800° C.