J. Mater. Sci. Technol. ›› 2021, Vol. 95: 78-87.DOI: 10.1016/j.jmst.2021.03.067

• Research Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Reinforcing carbonized polyacrylonitrile fibers with nanoscale graphitic interface-layers

Rahul Franklina,1, Weiheng Xub,1, Dharneedar Ravichandranb, Sayli Jambhulkarb, Yuxiang Zhub, Kenan Songc,*()   

  1. aMaterials Science and Engineering, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, United States
    bSystem Engineering, The Polytechnic School (TPS), Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ 85212, United States
    cManufacturing Engineering, Arizona State University, 6075 Innovation Way W., Mesa, AZ 85212, United States
  • Received:2021-01-02 Revised:2021-03-24 Accepted:2021-03-27 Published:2021-12-30 Online:2021-05-24
  • Contact: Kenan Song
  • About author:* E-mail address: kenan.song@asu.edu (K. Song).
    First author contact:1These authors contributed equally to this work.

Abstract:

Carbon fibers going through stabilization, carbonization, and graphitization heat-treatment stages will form continuous graphitic layers that are closely packed and preferentially aligned along the fiber axis, forming high mechanical stiffness or strength and electrical or thermal conductivity. The alignment of noncontinuous, powder-like graphene layers in polymers has been challenging due to the low bending modulus of a few- or even single-layered graphene, which causes aggregations or folding behaviors. This research demonstrates the leveraging of polymer-nanoparticle interactions to align graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) in the polyacrylonitrile (PAN) matrix. An in-house designed spinning method produces a three-layered fiber that utilizes the interfacial interactions between each layer for graphene alignment between graphitic layers. This composite containing oriented GNPs significantly improves modulus (i.e., 42.3 to 74.6 GPa) and increases electrical conductivity for enhancing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) sensing behaviors. This research opens up a new scalable fabrication method for multilayered composites.

Key words: Mechanical property, Graphene, Nanocomposite, Multilayer, Electrical, Sensing