Novel applications of VGCG including hydrogen storage

摘要

From a variety of synthesis studies of vapor grown carbon fibers (VGCF), two forms of discontinuous fibers have emerged as leading candidates for comercial application. The first is made to have a diameter comparable to conventional carbon fibers gy coating the original graphite filament with pyroltic carbon. Composites of this fiber have been fabricated with exceptionally high values of thermal and electrical conductivity, but modest values of strength and modulus. This combination of properties is assumed to drive from the fact that, while the pyrolytic carbon coating is of thigh purity and graphitizes well, defects incorporated into the graphite lattice are proportional to the volume of the fiber. These defects lead to a decreases in strength and modulus at larger fiber diameters. The second form of VGCF, that has higher potential for low cost and large volume production, is a nanofiber that has a diameter on the order of 100 nanometers and a length of about 100 microns. Methods for fabricating composities from these materials are under development, and show promise in a number of large volume applications.