Additive for thermal production and reinforcement of carbon fiber, and carbon fiber prepared there from
AssigneesKorea Institute of Carbon Convergence Technology, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
InventorsMin Hye Jung, Hyun Kyu Shin, Kyu Soon Park, Duck Joo Yang, Benjamin Batchelor, Samsuddin Mahmood
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to an improved method for preparing carbon fiber via modified stabilization and carbonization methods during a process of forming filaments of co-polymers comprising acrylonitrile (AN) and vinyl imidazole (VIM) by adding an additive during the during the extrusion process to decrease stabilization temperature, increase crosslinking during oxidation, or decrease the temperatures of carbonization.
Claims15
A method for formation of fibers of co-polymers comprising acrylonitrile and a vinyl imidazole co-monomer, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
- (a) combining acrylonitrile with the vinyl imidazole co-monomer to form a co-polymer composition;
- (b) melt-spinning the composition to form melt-spun fibers of the composition;
- (c) annealing the melt-spun fibers to form annealed fibers;
- (d) stabilizing the annealed fibers to form stabilized fibers;
- and
- (e) carbonizing the stabilized fibers to form carbon fibers, wherein
- (i) an additive is added during the method and changes a characteristic of the fibers selected from the group consisting of
- (A) decrease stabilization temperature of the annealed fibers by the range of from 1° C. to 50° C. as compared to the stabilization temperature of the annealed fibers, in which the annealed fibers would have had without the additive,
- (B) decrease carbonization temperature of the stabilized fibers by the range of from 10° C. to 200° C. as compared to the carbonization temperature of the stabilized fibers, in which the stabilized fibers would have had without the additive, and
- (C) combinations thereof, and
- (ii) the additive is added by dip coating the stabilized fibers of the stabilizing step with the solution of the additive before the carbonizing step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.