3D Carbon Fiber Production with High Surface Area

Timely, cost effective and continuous manufacturing process Manufacturing is not sensitive to small amounts of contaminants, allowing the use of industrial grade carbonaceous gases Length and thickness of filaments are highly controllable and customizable Original carbon fibers are protected during production of the composite materials

Composite materials, adsorbents, catalyst supports, fuel cells, capacitors, medicine, refrigeration, and environmental control

UCF researchers have discovered a method for producing three-dimensional (3D) carbon fibers. These fibers have a surface area approximately two orders of magnitude greater than the surface area of primary fibers. They are composed of original carbon fibers with secondary carbon filaments (SCFs) grown thereon. Additional tertiary carbon filaments can also be grown from the surface of SCFs, forming a filamentous carbon network with high surface area. The presence of carbon filaments enhances the interfacial bonding between the fiber and the matrix, which greatly reduces the problems associated with the delamination of the composite materials. Furthermore, the strong micromechanical interaction with the matrix due to the increased surface area, allows the 3D carbon fibers to efficiently bind with metal, ceramic, glass, and concrete matrices, resulting in a wide range of applications.

USA