• Macromolecular Research
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.318-324
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• 2002

In this paper we have extensively studied what and how processing parameters for quasi-carbonization influence the breaking strength and modulus of resulting quasi-carbon fabrics that are prepared from stabilized PAN fabrics with a spun yarn texture. Seven processing parameters have been considered as follows: applied tension, final heat-treatment temperature, heating rate, heating step, holding time, cooling rate, and purging gas purity. The results indicate that optimal uses of applied tension, final heat-treatment temperature, heating rate, and heating step during quasi-carbonization process are primarily important to increase the tensile properties of quasi-carbon fabrics and holding time, cooling rate, and purging gas purity are less importantly contributed.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.575-586
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• 2001

Stabilized polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers can be transformed into quasi-carbon fibers with different properties depending on heat-treatment processing parameters at lower temperatures than temperature for the fabrication of carbon fibers. It has been investigated from the preliminary work that appropriate quasi-carbonization processes at about 1100$^{\circ}C$ strongly influence various properties of quasi-carbon fiber/polymer composite as well as quasi-carbon fiber itself. The objective of the present work is to prepare quasi-carbon fibers from stabilized PAN fibers using various quasi-carbonization cycles and to examine their properties. Two temperature regions, up to 800$^{\circ}C$ and above 1000$^{\circ}C$, were used for quasi-carbonization processes. The chemical composition, physical properties, thermal stability, microstructure, mechanical properties and electrical resistivity of the quasi-carbon fibers prepared with different final heat-treatment temperatures, heating rates, holding times, heating steps, and purging gas purity were extensively examined. The results were also compared with those from stabilized PAN fiber and commercial PAN-based carbon fiber. The present study showed that a variety of properties of quasi-carbon fibers significantly depended on several quasi-carbonization process parameters.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 2004

In the present paper, a variety of fiber reinforcements, for instance, stabilized OXI-PAN fibers, quasi-carbon fibers, commercial carbon fibers, and their woven fabric forms, have been utilized to fabricate pseudo-unidirectional (pseudo-UD) and 2-directional (2D) phenolic matrix composites using a compression molding method. Prior to fabricating quasi-carbon fiber/phenolic (QC/P) composites, stabilized OXI-PAN fibers and fabrics were heat-treated under low temperature carbonization processes to prepare quasi-carbon fibers and fabrics. The thermal conductivity and thermal expansion/contraction behavior of QC/P composites have been investigated and compared with those of carbon fiber/phenolic (C/P) and stabilized fiber/phenolic composites. Also, the chemical compositions of the fibers used have been characterized. The results suggest that use of proper quasi-carbonization process may control effectively not only the chemical compositions of resulting quasi-carbon fibers but also the thermal conductivity and thermal expansion behavior of quasi-carbon fibers/phenolic composites in the intermediate range between stabilized PAN fiber- and carbon fiber-reinforced phenolic composites.