Preparation of carbon nanofiber with specific features by degradative solvent extraction product from biomass wastes

Abstract

One of the most essential topics in carbon fiber research is seeking a suitable precursor for the carbon fiber preparation. In this work, an extract was obtained from biomass wastes by a degradative solvent extraction method under moderate conditions. This extract had the properties required for carbon fiber preparation, such as high carbon content, low ash content, thermoplastic property etc. The carbon fiber, prepared using the extract by electro-spinning, had a coarser surface with the specific surface area and specific volume respectively reaching to 714.24 m2/g and 164.10 cm3/g, higher than those of PAN-based carbon fiber. The diameter of the extract-based carbon fiber was about 169 nm ~ 200 nm. The R (ID/IG) value was as low as 1.46. The stabilization and carbonization of extract-based and PAN-based fibers were also conducted via a TGA-DSC for a detailed investigation and comparison. It showed that the thermochemical behaviors of both carbon fibers were different. Thus, it proved that the degradative solvent extraction of biomass waste is a promising method for precursor production to prepare nano-scale carbon fiber with specific properties.