ABSTRACT
Abstract ................................................................................................. 188 8.1 Introduction ................................................................................ 188 8.2 Carbon Fibers ............................................................................. 190 8.3 Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) ............................................................. 194 8.4 Activated Carbon Fibers ............................................................ 195 8.5 Activated Carbon ....................................................................... 199 8.6 Carbon Nanostructures ............................................................... 200 8.7 Polyacrylonitrile Based Carbon Nanofibers .............................. 204 8.8 Electrospinning Methodology .................................................... 206 8.9 Electrospinning of PAN Solution ............................................... 209 8.10 Stabilization ............................................................................... 212 8.11 Carbonization ............................................................................. 213 8.12 Comparison of Stabilization and Carbonization ........................ 216 8.13 FT-IR Study of PAN and Stabilized PAN Fiber ......................... 217 8.14 CNF from Other Type of Precursors .......................................... 219 8.15 Activation ................................................................................... 220 8.16 Applications ............................................................................... 226 8.17 Summary and Outlook ............................................................... 246 Keywords .............................................................................................. 247 References ............................................................................................. 247
ABSTRACT
Carbon nanofibers (sometimes known as carbon nanofilaments or CNF) can be produced in a relative large scale by electrospinning of Polyacrylonitrile solution in dimethyl formaldehyde, stabilization and carbonization process. The porosity, pore volume and surface area of carbon nanofiber enhanced during the chemical or physical activation. This paper is a review of electrospinning method of CNF production and heat pretreatments and activations process to make activated carbon nanofiber. Attention is also given to some of the possible applications of this nanostructures which center around the unique blend of properties exhibited by the material, which include: hydrogen adsorption properties, energy storage media, catalyst support, and regenerative medicine.
