Investigation of Stabilization Conditions of Electrospun Carbon Nanofibers for Improved Mechanical Performance

摘要

In this study, we prepare carbon nanofiber (CNF) yarns by electrospinning process utilizing 10-rnwt% polyacrylonitrile (PAN) in DMF solution, at 22%RH and 18°C. About 15kV electric potentialrnis applied across 18cm gap between the solution needle and the rotating drum collector to producernaligned carbon nanofiber yarns. An indirect laboratory technique based on the in-situ shrinkagernmeasurement and the exothermic heat evolution is applied to optimize the stabilization conditions ofrnCNF yarns in air. The stabilized PAN nanofibers are then carbonized at 800°C in nitrogen. Therntensile properties of carbonized nanofibers revealed thatin situ stabilization shrinkage measurementrncan be used in optimizing stabilization condition for electrospun CNFs for improved mechanicalrnperformance. The tensile strength and modulus of the carbonized nanofiber yarn were found to bern337 MPa and 32 GPa, respectively.