Method of making polyacrylonitrile based carbon fibers and polyacrylonitrile based carbon fiber fabric
AssigneeUniversity of Kentucky Research Foundation
InventorsMatthew Weisenberger, John Craddock
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods to produce a polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fiber and polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fiber fabric with physical characteristic closely resembling rayon-based carbon fibers are disclosed. A polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fiber and polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fiber fabric with a unique combination of physical properties are also disclosed.
Claims17
A method of producing polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fibers, comprising:
- extruding a PAN dope through a spinneret to produce a tow of PAN fibers having a lobed cross section and a glass transition temperature above 100° C., wherein (a) the lobed cross section of a first PAN fiber has (i) a characteristic width greater than 10% of a width of the first PAN fiber at the largest dimension of the first PAN fiber and (ii) a characteristic protruding length greater than 10% of the width of the first PAN fiber at the largest dimension of the first PAN fiber and (b) an interstitial space between adjacent lobes of a second, adjacent PAN fiber includes a concavity dimensioned to receive the lobed cross section of the first PAN fiber whereby the first and second, adjacent PAN fibers are mechanically interlocked together;
- washing, drying and winding the tow of PAN fibers without subjecting the PAN fibers to hot drawing at a temperature at or above 100° C.;
- and
- stabilizing and carbonizing the tow of PAN fibers at a temperature of less than 1,000° C. to produce PAN-based carbon fibers.
A method of producing a polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fiber fabric, comprising:
- extruding a PAN dope through a spinneret to produce a tow of PAN fibers having a lobed cross section and a glass transition temperature above 100° C., wherein (a) the lobed cross section of a first PAN fiber has (i) a characteristic width greater than 10% of a width of the first PAN fiber at the largest dimension of the first PAN fiber and (ii) a characteristic protruding length greater than 10% of the width of the first PAN fiber at the largest dimension of the first PAN fiber and (b) an interstitial space between adjacent lobes of a second, adjacent PAN fiber includes a concavity dimensioned to receive the lobed cross section of the first PAN fiber whereby the first and second, adjacent PAN fibers are mechanically interlocked together;
- washing, drying and winding the tow of PAN fibers without subjecting the PAN fibers to hot drawing at a temperature at or above 1000 C;
- weaving the tow of PAN fibers into a woven PAN fiber fabric;
- and
- stabilizing and carbonizing the woven PAN fiber fabric at a temperature of less than 1,000° C. to produce PAN-based woven carbon fiber fabric.
A PAN-based carbon fiber, comprising (a) a thermal diffusivity of less than 2 mm2/sec along a longitudinal axis of the PAN-based carbon fiber, (b) a modulus of less than 100 GPa along the longitudinal axis in tension, (c) a lobe width Wl/max fiber diameter Wf greater than 0.1, (d) a lobe protruding length PLl/max fiber diameter Wf greater than 0.1, and (e) a concavity between adjacent lobes, dimensioned to receive a lobed cross section of an adjacent PAN fiber whereby the PAN-based carbon fibers are mechanically interlocked together.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.