Reaction Kinetics and Process Model of the Polyacrylonitrile Fibers Stabilization Process Based on Dielectric Measurements

Abstract

Microwave-based dielectric heating is a suitable method for energy- and time-efficient processes. Considering the energy required in the production of carbon fibers, it is evident that microwave-based dielectric heating during the different phases of the production needs to be considered too. Nevertheless, the dielectric properties of the processed material needs to be known for the design of an appropriate microwave applicator. When looking at the first stage in the production, the stabilization stage of the PAN fiber, the important data about the dielectric properties is very limited in literature. For this reason, first in-situ temperature-dependent measurements of the dielectric properties during the stabilization stage are presented. The impact of raising temperatures and chemical reactions on the dielectric properties of the heated PAN fiber is discussed. Secondly, the steps taken to set up the reaction kinetics from the dielectric loss point of view are given. This enables determination of the reaction degree as a function of the measured dielectric loss for the first time. The established correlation opens the potential for the application to processes such as an in-situ quality determination. The strong temperature impact on the process is shown, and reaction kinetics are analyzed accordingly. In a final third step, a heat transfer model is presented. It utilizes the evaluated reaction kinetics data and microwave heating, creating a first modelling approach for monitoring and controlling the desired fiber temperature, leading towards an online process.