Development of Carbon Nanofibers from Electrospinning

Carbon fibers have been massively produced in industry for decades. They generally have diameters of a few micrometers and are developed mostly from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor. Carbon fibers have been employed in a wide range of applications particularly for high-performance composite materials due to their high strength, high modulus, low density, high chemical resistance, and high temperature tolerance. In recent years, carbon nanofibers with diameters that fall into submicron and nanometer range have attracted growing attention due to their unique one-dimensional nanostructure in combination with carbon’s superior chemical, electric, and mechanical properties. Unlike catalytic synthesis, electrospinning PAN followed by stabilization and carbonization has become the most straightforward and convenient route to make continuous carbon nanofibers. This chapter demonstrated research exploration made in development of carbon nanofibers from electrospun PAN at the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering of North Carolina A&T State University. Attention is particularly given to develop high-strength carbon nanofiber yarns.