Carbon fibers from aromatic hydrocarbons

Abstract

Carbon filter is widely used as a lightweight and high-strength material for composite structures. Its uses are expected to expand in the next century. Currently the best precursor for making these fibers is polyacrylonitrile (PAN). This is a relatively expensive feedstock. Carbon fibers also have been made starting with so-called mesophase pitch fractions derived from low-cost hydrocarbons such as petroleum residuum. But these fibers suffer from low mechanical strength. In the past few years, significant advances have been made in understanding the mechanism of formation of mesophase pitch, which may lead to improved performance for carbon fibers and other specialty carbons. This article introduces such advances, based principally on the authors` recent results.