Producing of Carbon Fibers from Commercial Viscose Fibers

Abstract

In this work, commercial Viscose fibers (cellulosic based precursor) were used for making carbon fibers. The experimental procedures include two main steps: Stabilization in air atmosphere and Carbonization in inert gas atmosphere. In the first step, the Viscose fibers are stabilized with the catalyst of mixture urea/diamonium hydrogen phosphate in air at temperature of 250 °C. The stabilized fibers are then carbonized in argon at heating rates of 3 °C.min-1 (below 600 °C) and 5 °C.min-1 (above 600 °C). Ultimate carbonization temperature is 1200 °C. Commercial Viscose fibers possessed carbon content about 40 wt% and fiber dimension is approximately 18 μm. After carbonization, obtained fibers have carbon content above 94 wt% and diameter of about 8μm. The Thermogravimetry Analysis (TGA), Carbon analysis, SEM imaging and XRD analysis are used for this study.