Abstract:
A pitch-based carbon fiber having a microstructure consisting of strip-like structural units extended in the longitudinal direction of the fiber, wherein the fractal dimension D of the arrangement of the strip-like structural units in the cross-section of the fiber has a fractal structure satisfying the requirement of the following formula (2) relatively to the observation scale r satisfying the requirement of the following formula (1) with respect to the cross-section of the fiber:E/2.5>r>E/25 (1)2.0>D>1.05 (2)wherein E in the formula (1) stands for a smallest principal radius of gyration of cross-sectional area of the cross-section of the fiber.
Abstract:
Disclosed herein is an improved pitch for making readily stabilizable, substantially nonmesophasic carbon fibers. The pitch has a softening point of about 250.degree. C. (480.degree. F.) or above and is produced from an unoxidized thermal petroleum pitch by selectively reducing or eliminating a portion of the low molecular weight materials in a very short period of time so that the tendency to produce mesophase pitch is eliminated or reduced and so that the chemical integrity of the components of the higher molecular weight fractions is preserved as much as possible. Also disclosed is a method of producing carbon fibers therefrom and rovings or mats from such fibers.
Abstract:
A carbon fiber having a cross-sectional structure of regular mesh form orientation as observed by a polarizing microscope is produced by a method comprising melt spinning pitch material through spinning nozzles, followed by infusible treatment and carbonization, wherein a mesh filter layer is provided at an upstream portion of each nozzle, and the pitch material is passed first through the mesh filter layer and then through the nozzle for spinning.
Abstract:
High strength, high modulus carbon fibers derived from high mesophase content pitch, having a plurality of sheets formed of planes of hexagonal carbon networks oriented, in the direction of the fiber axis and having a cross-sectional arrangement which does not carbonize to a graphitic structure are characterized by electron and X-ray diffraction pattern wherein the (10) band is not resolved into (100) and (101) lines, by an interlayer spacing greater than 3.38 angstrom and by negative magnetic resistivity when composed to graphitized fibers.
Abstract:
A carbonizing furnace includes a heating chamber with a wall having channels therein, a carbon heater in the channels, a heat insulator composed of carbon fiber felt and a ceramic fiber felt which covers the heating chamber such that the carbon fiber felt is in contacting with the heating chamber and the ceramic fiber felt is separated by a space from the carbon fiber felt, and a housing enclosing the heating chamber and the heat insulator, and an inlet for filling the insulator with an inert gas. The carbonizing furnace can be run stably and continuously.
Abstract:
A vertical apparatus for continuously carbonizing and activating various types of fiber materials. The apparatus comprising a chamber having openings at upper and lower portions thereof, at least one port through which an activating gas is passed for activation of the fiber material and a heater for keeping the temperature in the chamber, a means for vertically passing the fiber material in a continuous manner for the carbonization and activation, and a means for supplying the activating gas into the chamber. A method for continuously carbonizing and activating fiber materials in an efficient manner is also described.
Abstract:
Flux solvents and/or pitch neomesophase anti-solvents used in the generation of carbon fiber precursors from pitch are separated from mixtures of such solvent and uncoverted carbon fiber precursors by contacting said mixtures with asymmetric hydrophobic membranes under conditions of reverse osmosis. The membranes used in this separation are asymmetric polyimide membranes and asymmetric polyvinylidene fluoride membranes. Separation conditions include a contacting pressure sufficient to overcome the osmotic pressure of the solvent. The pressure is typically about 300 to 1000 psi. Contacting temperature is about 0.degree. to 100.degree. C., preferably about 20.degree. to 80.degree. C. The membrane of choice is an asymmetric polyimide membrane.
Abstract:
A method for producing a 100% mesophase pitch composed only of Q.I. and Q.S. components is provided. This method comprises subjecting petroleum-origin pitch to heat treatment with stirring under a stream of a hydrocarbon gas of small carbon atom numbers at atmospheric or superatmospheric pressure, holding said heat-treated pitch in quiescent state to melt and coalesce only the mesophase therein and dividing and separating non-mesophase and mesophase layers. Resulting 100% mesophase enables us to produce high strength, high modulus carbon fibers.
Abstract:
A vertical carbonizing furnace for use in the production of carbon fibers is provided with a vertically extending conduit of hollow rectangular parallelepiped. The lower end of the conduit is immersed in water thereby making a water seal from environmental air. The conduit is also provided with a gas withdrawal outlet which communicates with the upper portion of the conduit through a gas feeding duct for reuse. The mixture of a vapor evaporated from the water seal and an inert gas is withdrawn from the gas withdrawal outlet and fed to the upper portion of the conduit as gas for sealing thereby preventing fibers and the conduit made of carbon or graphite from being deteriorated by said vapor evaporated from the water seal and providing a gas for sealing the upper end of the conduit.
Abstract:
In a process for continuously pulling a web of tows of carbonizable material under tension through an oxidizing oven, the web is introduced into the oxidizing oven by initially feeding a leader in the form of a web of heat-resistant cloth through the oven and then heating the oven if the oven is not already hot. The trailing edge of the leader which remains outside of the oven is then spliced to the leading edge of the web of carbonizable tows, and the leader is used to pull the web of carbonizable tows into and through the hot oven. Use of the heat-resistant leader greatly minimizes wastage within the web of carbonizable tows. Splicing of the trailing edge of the lead to the leading edge of the web of carbonizable tows is accomplished by taping, stitching and folding the two edges to form loops therein into which elongated rods are inserted. The two edges are then secured within a splice bar, the opposite halves of which define slots for receiving the two edges and the included rods. The splice bar may be removed to uncouple the leading edge of the web of carbonizable tows from the leader after the leading edge has passed through the oxidizing oven.