Carbon Nanofibers Form by Electrospinning with Flowrate Variations as Electrodes for Capacitive Deionization

Abstract

Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) have been successfully prepared by using electrospinning at various flowrates, and were formed from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and activated carbon (700-1400 m2/g) as electrodes on capacitive deionization. Before being furthermore deposited into electrodes, characterization was carried out on CNFs by using SEM. Cyclic voltammetry analysis was also performed to determine the electrolysis mechanism of the electrodes. The best results in removing salt reaching 70% were achieved by capacitive deionization systems with the smallest diameter size of CNFs, at a voltage of 1.5 V. The CNFs formed by electrospinning have potential to be used as excellent capacitive deionization electrodes for the desalination process.

Fabrication of PVA/Carbon-Based Nanofibers Using Electrospinning

“…The electrospinning technique is a technology for making nano-sized fiber materials derived from materials in the form of solutions or liquids, as well as an efficient nanofibers manufacturing system by utilizing the influence of electrostatics in producing a solution (jet) of electrically charged polymer solutions or melts [20]. The electrostatic effect is generated by using a high voltage source.…”

Carbonization at Varying Temperatures of PVA-Derived Nanofibers Fabricated by Electrospinning

“…Electrospun nanofibers exhibit a variety of morphologies and topologies, including core shells, hollow, thread, and porous architectures [7]. Modifying process factors such as applied stress, flow rate, collector type, needle tip-to-collector distance, needle design, polymer material, and so on may alter the structure of these nanofibers [8]. Carbon nanofibers may be synthesized using three methods: thermal chemical vapor deposition, accelerated chemical vapor deposition in plasma, and electrospinning [9].…”