Surface treatments of vapor-grown carbon fibers produced on a substrate

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 1998

Authors

Serp, P (Author) Other; José Luis Figueiredo (Author) FEUP; Bertrand, P (Author) Other; Issi, JP (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Carbon

Vol. 36 No. 12

Pages: 1791-1799

ISSN: 0008-6223

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 34 Citations

Scopus - 36 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-001-8VD

DOI: 10.1016/s0008-6223(98)00149-3

Abstract (EN): Vapor-grown carbon fibers (VGCF) were grown from a methane-hydrogen mixture on a reconstituted graphite support using different catalyst precursors, the [Fe(3)(CO)(12)] complex being found to be the most efficient for the production of VGCF. The fibers thus produced were characterized and submitted to different oxidative treatments, namely nitric acid, plasma, air and carbon dioxide. From analysis performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption (BET) and X-ray photon spectroscopy (XPS) it appears that the air and carbon dioxide treatments do not lead to significant increase either of the surface area, or of the quantity of surface oxygen containing groups, despite the considerable weight loss attained (50%). This peculiar observation has been interpreted by considering the presence of traces of iron at the fibers surface, which can catalyze the gasification of carbon. The presence of iron on the VGCF has been evidenced for the first time by the time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry technique. The cleansing of the fibers surface with concentrated hydrochloric acid results in the removal of the iron and leads, after CO(2) activation, to an improvement of the BET surface area. The use of nitric acid or plasma as oxidation agents does not affect significantly the surface morphology of the fibers, but greatly increases the number of surface oxygen functions.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 9