Optimizing Process Parameters in Polyacrylonitrile Production for Metallization with Nickel

Abstract

In this paper, the conditions of the precipitation bath for polyacrylonitrile fiber (PAN) production are optimized in order to obtain PAN fibers with optimal properties for further metallization using NiCl2 in the presence of a reducing agent. The PAN fibers show an interesting level of electroconductivity, do not show remarkable swelling after nickel uptake, and their physico-mechanical properties do not change considerably with the metallization process. Besides metallic nickel, nickel sulfide is also detected in the structure due to decomposition of the reducing agent, resulting in the formation of sulfide.