Mesophase Pitch-Based Carbon Fibers: Accelerated Stabilization of Pitch Fibers under Effective Plasma Irradiation-Assisted Modification

Abstract

Stabilization is the most complicated and time-consuming step in the manufacture of carbon fibers (CFs), which is important to prepare CFs with high performance. Accelerated stabilization was successfully demonstrated under effective plasma irradiation-assisted modification (PIM) of mesophase pitch fibers (PFs). The results showed that the PIM treatment could obviously introduce more oxygen-containing groups into PFs, which was remarkably efficient in shortening the stabilization time of PFs with a faster stabilization heating rate, as well as in preparing the corresponding CFs with higher performance. The obtained graphitized fiber (GF-5) from the PF-5 under PIM treatment of 5 min presented a higher tensile strength of 2.21 GPa, a higher tensile modulus of 502 GPa, and a higher thermal conductivity of 920 W/m·K compared to other GFs. Therefore, the accelerated stabilization of PFs by PIM treatment is an efficient strategy for developing low-cost pitch-based CFs with high performance.

Understanding the Molecular Arrangement and Orientation Characteristics of Mesophase Pitch and Its Fibers via a Polarized Light Microscope

“…The Raman D-band, at around 1360 cm −1 , and the G-band, at around 1580 cm −1 , correspond with the defect lattice-vibration mode and ideal graphite lattice-vibration mode, respectively. Therefore, the intensity ratio of the D-band and G-band (I D /I G ) could be used to evaluate the carbon crystallite character, and a lower value of I D /I G indicates fewer defect sites, while a more highly ordered orientation of fibers [ 25 ]. It was noticed that the I D /I G of MP-derived fibers were subsequently increased from PFs to SFs and CFs, and the I D /I G of GFs were of a minimum, were related to the oxygen cross-linked structure of SFs, and some defect structures of CFs and highly ordered carbon crystallite orientations of GFs.…”

Influence of Oxygen Uptake on Pitch Carbon Fiber

“…[12] A wide variety of alternative stabilization techniques have been employed to improve the oxidation process such as plasma stabilization, sulfuric acid stabilization, nitric acid stabilization, and KMNO 4 stabilization of PAN. [13][14][15][16][17] The goal of these investigations is either to increase CF mechanical properties, reduce production cost, or investigate scientific phenomena. In 2010, Xu et al [18] investigated the use of gamma radiation to stabilize the fiber precursor structure.…”

Ex Situ Study on the Co-Preparation of Pitch and Carbon Black from Petroleum Residue to Improve the Cost-Efficiency of the Pitch Synthesis Plant

“…Demand for carbon materials such as carbon fiber, synthetic graphite, and activated carbon has increased with the development of industries and technology. These carbon materials are manufactured using pitch, which is formable to various structures due to its thermoplasticity properties [1][2][3][4]. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as coal tar and petroleum residue can be used as precursors for pitch.…”

“…1 Ash was estimated by residual weight at 800 • C of TGA in air atmospheric conditions 2. Carbon value was estimated by residual weight at 900 • C of TGA in inert conditions 3.…”