Apparatus and method for making carbon fibers
AssigneeIndustrial Technology and Equipment Company
InventorsRonald L. Panter, Thomas A. Herold
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for the carbonization of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor fibers. The apparatus comprises a furnace, or series of furnaces in side-by-side arrangement. Each furnace includes a heater, an air inlet and an air diffusion plate. The fiber is located in the furnace above the air diffuser plate, such that heated air is evenly dispersed over the fibers. The method generally comprises the steps of heat treating the PAN precursor in an oxidizing environment to stabilize the fiber, and then further heat treating the stabilized fiber in an oxidizing environment to carbonize the stabilized fiber. The method can be carried out in a single furnace, or can be carried out in a series of furnaces in a continuous process.
Claims38
A method for making carbon fibers, the method including the steps of:
- providing a precursor fiber;
- providing a furnace configured to heat the fiber;
- stabilizing the precursor fiber by heating the precursor fiber in an oxidizing environment in a heating chamber of the furnace while applying tension to the precursor fiber;
- carbonizing the stabilized fiber by further heating the fiber in an oxidizing environment in the heating chamber of the furnace.
A method for making carbon fibers, the method including the steps of:
- providing a precursor fiber;
- providing a furnace configured to heat the fiber;
- stabilizing and carbonizing the fiber in a single continuous process that includes drawing the fiber continuously through the furnace.
A method for making carbon fibers, the method including the steps of:
- providing an elongated precursor fiber;
- providing a plurality of furnaces disposed adjacent one another in a serial side-by-side relationship and configured to heat the fiber to different respective temperatures as the fiber is drawn through the furnaces;
- stabilizing the precursor fiber by heating the precursor fiber in an oxidizing environment as it is drawn through respective heating chambers of an initial group of the plurality of furnaces while applying tension to the precursor fiber;
- and
- continuously carbonizing the stabilized fiber by further heating the fiber in an oxidizing environment as it is drawn through the heating chamber of a final one of the plurality of furnaces.
An apparatus for forming carbon fibers that includes:
- a first furnace having a heater;
- an air supply system configured to direct a gas comprising oxygen over the heater and into a heating chamber;
- a fiber guide configured to direct a fiber through the heating chamber;
- and
- a dispersion plate disposed between the heater and the heating chamber and configured to evenly disperse heated air into the heating chamber and around the fiber.
An apparatus for forming carbon fibers that includes:
- a first furnace having a heater and an air supply system configured to direct a gas comprising oxygen over the heater and into a first heating chamber at a first temperature;
- a second furnace disposed adjacent the first furnace and having a heater and an air supply system configured to direct a gas comprising oxygen over the heater and into a second heating chamber at a second temperature;
- and
- fiber guide configured to direct a fiber through the first and second heating chambers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.