The radial structural heterogeneity of thermally-stabilized polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber is considered to be a limiting factor affecting the mechanical properties of the resulting carbon fibers. In this study, we demonstrate that a low-dose (60 kGy) γ-ray irradiation pretreatment can effectively mitigate the radial structural heterogeneity of PAN fibers after thermal stabilization. The characterization results indicate that low-dose γ-ray irradiation only affects the physical structure of PAN through decreasing its crystalline size and crystallinity, rather than inducing chemical cross-linking and/or intramolecular cyclization. It is proposed that an increased amorphous region in PAN fibers prompted by low-dose γ-ray irradiation can facilitate oxygen diffusion from skin to core during stabilization, which results in the increased structural homogeneity of stabilized PAN fibers.
Eucalyptus dissolving kraft pulp pre-hydrolysis Liquor (PHL) is rich in sugar and other biomass resources, which can produce furfural and may serve as a platform molecule for sustainable fuel production....
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.