Controlled lowering of graphitization temperature of electrospun poly(acrylonitrile) based carbon fiber by carbon nanotube embedment

摘要

Structural evolution of electrospun poly(acrylonitrile) based carbon fibers embedded with multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) by heat treatment between 1000 and 3000 ℃ is reported. The graphitization of the fibers is seen to be enhanced in the presence of MWCNT. Graphite fibers with high crystallinity and with a lattice constant nearly equal to that of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite can be prepared at a temperature of 2000 ℃, with a small percentage (～5 wt.%) of MWCNT embedded into it. This is a reduction of the graphitization temperature by ～ 1000 ℃ from the conventional graphitization temperature of ~3000 ℃ without the addition of any metallic catalyst.