Comparison of Structure and Electrical Properties between Carbon Nanofibers and Microfibers

Abstract

PAN (Polyacrylonitrile)-based carbon nanofibers and microfibers were prepared under the same preoxidation and carbonization conditions, and they were added into fluorocarbon resin as conductor fillers to make antistatic coatings. The electrostatic properties of carbon nanofibers and microfibers were compared by testing the surface resistivity of the coatings filled with different fibers. The carbon contents, bulk resistivities, apparent crystallinities of the different carbonaceous fibers were investigated to analyze the relations between their structure and electrical conductivity. The results show that the carbonization degree of carbon nanofibers is higher than that of the carbon microfibers under the same treatment conditions. The surface resistivity of the coating filled with carbon microfibers is 103∼105 times higher than the one filled with carbon nanofibers with the same filler content. Notably, if filled with carbon nanofibers, the surface resistivity of the coating is adjustable between 104 and 108 Ω. So, carbon nanofibers can fit the different antistatic materials well. Compared with the carbon microfibers, nanofibers is more applicable for preparing antistatic coatings.