STUDY ON THE PREPARING OF POLYACRYLONITRILE-BASED CARBON FIBERS

Free radical solution copolymerization of itaconic acid and acrylonitrile was carried out in DMSO using azodiisobutyronitrile as initiator with changing the feed rate of itaconic acid. The resulting polymerization solution was spun to form PAN precursors of carbon fibers. The precursors were treated with CoSO 4 aqueous solution on the line. The structure and properties of untreated and treated PAN precursors and resultant carbon fibers were characterized by SEM and TEM, stabilization process and so on. It was suggested that CoSO 4 acted as a catalyst in the formation of ladder structure and reduces the temperature of cyclization. The carbon fibers developed from treated PAN fibers showed an improvement in tensile strength and Young's modulus.