Abstract
Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers with unique properties are becoming increasingly important as precursors for the fabrication of carbon fibers. Here, we suggest the preparation of porous PAN composite fibers to increase the homogeneity and thermal stability of the fibers. Based on the thermodynamics of polymer solutions, the ternary phase diagram of the PAN/H2O/Dimethylformamide (DMF) system has been modeled to introduce porosity in the fibers. Adding a conscious amount of water (4.1 wt.%) as a non-solvent to the PAN solution containing 1 wt.% of graphene oxide (GO), followed by wet spinning, has led to the preparation of porous composite fibers with high thermal stability and unique physicochemical properties. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results elucidate that PAN/GO/H2O porous composite fibers have a higher thermal decomposition temperature, increased residual weight, reduced heat release rate, and higher crystallinity in comparison with the pristine PAN fibers, being a promising precursor for the development of high-performance carbon fibers. The results show a promising application window of the synthesized PAN fibers in electronic and electrochemical devices.
Highlights
Carbon fibers have been considered as promising materials for a large number of applications in the automotive industry, motorsports, and turbine blade manufacturing due to their light weight, stiffness, and extraordinary properties [1,2]
Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers with high crystallinity, excellent thermal stability, and other remarkable characteristics are widely utilized as primary precursors in manufacturing high-performance carbon fibers [3,4,5]
Known as a primary method, wet spinning has been employed to prepare a significant majority of PAN fibers [23,24,25,26]
Summary
Carbon fibers have been considered as promising materials for a large number of applications in the automotive industry, motorsports, and turbine blade manufacturing due to their light weight, stiffness, and extraordinary properties [1,2]. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers with high crystallinity, excellent thermal stability, and other remarkable characteristics are widely utilized as primary precursors in manufacturing high-performance carbon fibers [3,4,5]. Known as a primary method, wet spinning has been employed to prepare a significant majority of PAN fibers [23,24,25,26]. Numerous researches have focused on the modification of PAN precursor fibers since the quality of carbon fibers entirely depends on the physical and structural properties of the precursor such as crystallinity and thermal stability [3,27]. PAN composite fibers containing graphene oxide (GO) have gained significant interest owing to their large surface
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
