Thermal treatment of pyrolytic lignin and polyethylene terephthalate toward carbon fiber production. Issue 26 (19th December 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Qu, Wangda; Bai, Xianglan
• Is Part Of: Journal of applied polymer science. Volume 137:Issue 26(2020)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2019-12-19
• Subjects: biopolymers and renewable polymers -- fibers -- mechanical properties -- synthesis and processing techniques; Polymers -- Periodicals; Polymerization -- Periodicals; 668.9
• DOI: 10.1002/app.48843
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-8995

Abstract

ABSTRACT: In this work, pyrolytic lignin (PL) was thermally co‐treated with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to produce carbon fiber precursor. The produced PL‐PET precursors were thoroughly characterized and analyzed, and then being processed into carbon fiber. It was found that a novel precursor, rather than their physical blending, was formed by the thermal co‐treatment, indicating there were strong interactions between PL and PET. The novel PL‐PET precursors had enhanced thermal properties and rheological characteristics, therefore are more suitable for processing into better carbon fibers based on melt‐spinning method. In this study, the precursor fibers derived from the co‐treatment of PL and 5% PET were also stretched under tension during stabilization step to reduce the fiber diameter and improve molecular orientation. The resulting carbon fibers with an average diameter of 12.6 μm had the tensile strength of up to 1220 MPa. This work demonstrated that PET could be used to improve the processability and quality of lignin‐based carbon fiber when it is chemically bonded with lignin‐based precursor. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48843. Abstract :