Engineering Commons^™

The Effect Of Precursor Design And Processing On The Semi-Crystalline Morphologies Of Polyacrylonitrile-Based Carbon Fiber, Katelyn Cordell

Dissertations

Basic research to control the morphology of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fiber is crucial for next generation composites as it determines their mechanical properties and final use. Poor molecular design of PAN-based precursors and fiber processing causes morphological defects and mechanical limitations.^1,2 This research focused on utilizing the controlled polymerization technique, reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT), of novel acrylamide comonomers to afford well-defined precursors with precisely controlled molecular design. This controlled RAFT technique improved the overall precursor graphitic structure as evident by the increased extent of stabilization and reduced activation energy as compared to precursors prepared by traditional free radical …