Acrylonitrile monomer +co-monomer CARBON FIBRE DECODED HARSHIT JAIN¹, SAIROHIT RAGHUPATHY¹ 1-Department of Fibres and Textiles Processing Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai-19. WHAT IS CARBON FIBRE? It consists of 93-95% Carbon with a diameter of 5-10 µm. It can be manufactured using PAN, Rayon or Mesophase Pitch precursors. It has high Tensile Strength, Rigidity and nearly 10 times the Specific Strength of Steel Hence, it is widely used in the field of Aerospace, Automobile and Civil Engineering CHEMISTRY Figure 2: Spool of Carbon Fibre Figure 3: SEM of Carbon Fibre Figure 1: Sequence of Reaction MANUFACTURING OF CARBON FIBRES - Carbon fibres are manufactured mainly from PAN Precursor. The manufacturing process is shown alongside in the flowchart Acrylonitrile monomer +co-monomer Polymerization PAN Copolymer Wet Spinning PAN Fibre Stabilization (Multi Zone Oven) Pre-Carbonization Carbonization CARBON FIBRE APPLICATIONS Figure 4: Leading manufacturers of Carbon Fibre. PROPERTIES High Tensile Strength (3-5 GPa), High Tensile Modulus (200-300 GPa) High strength to weight ratio (2400 Nm/kg) Density (1.7-1.8 g/cc) Exceptional Flame Retardant properties Fatigue, Chemical and Corrosion Resistant. Non poisonous AUTOMOBILES AEROSPACE SPORTING GOODS WINDMILL BLADES THE FUTURE OF CARBON FIBRE It can be used in fuel cells, CNG storage and transportation. Light weight pre-cast concrete and earthquake resistant materials can be made using Carbon Fibres. It can be used in drill pipes in Oil Rigs and in Nuclear Reactors. REFERENCES P.Morgan , Carbon Fibres and their Composites, Taylor and Francis, 2005 http://zoltek.com/carbonfiber/the-future-of-carbon-fiber/ Richard A Scott Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency, Science and Technology Division, Flagstaff Road, Colchester, Essex CO27SS, UK. Figure 5 Figure 6 WHY CARBON FIBRES? Improves fuel efficiency due to its light weight. It is fatigue resistant, and hence reduces maintenance costs considerably. Although it is light weight, it is more durable than most metals. WHY NOT CARBON FIBRES? High production costs. Can lead to short circuits due to its high electrical conductivity. It is non biodegradable and recycling leads to loss in tensile properties.