Cytec Industries Inc.

Shao C Chiu

Billy D Harmon

Longgui Tang

Thomas Baker Taylor

Alan D Thomas

John Desmond Cook

Suzanne Crawford

Girish Vishnukant Deshpande

Barry DeWayne Meece

The present disclosure relates generally to carbon fibers having high tensile strength and modulus of elasticity, as well as a process for the manufacture of such carbon fiber. The process comprises spinning a polymer/solvent solution into a solvent/water bath in the range of 78%-85% solvent, thereby producing a dense fiber structure, and subsequently carbonizing the polymer precursor fiber at a lower than typical carbonization temperature to form carbon fibers.

Manufacture of intermediate modulus carbon fiber

A gas phase surface treatment for treating carbon fiber including (a) exposing a carbon fiber to a gaseous oxidizing atmosphere to form a modified carbon fiber with an oxidized fiber surface; followed by (b) exposing the oxidized fiber surface to a gaseous nitrogen-containing atmosphere to form a modified carbon fiber with a nitrogen-enriched surface, wherein the nitrogen-enriched surface exhibits an increase in surface nitrogen to surface carbon (N/C) ratio as compared to the surface of the carbon fiber prior to exposure at (a). Steps (a) and (b) are carried out continuously without any additional intervening surface treatment.

Process for gas phase surface treatment

Various embodiments directed towards methods of applying sizing to fibers are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, solvent can be used to dissolve a sizing material into a solution, which can then be used to coat the fibers. In some embodiments, a water bath is used to coagulate a sizing on the fiber surface and to remove the remove solvent after coating the fibers, so that water vapor can be created during a subsequent drying step as opposed to solvent vapors. In some embodiments, strong acids or strong bases can be used as the solvent.

Method for manufacturing sized carbon fibers for composite applications

Growing community of inventors

Alpharetta, GA, United States of America

Shao C Chiu