A method is provided for manufacturing a polyacrylonitrile-sulfur composite material, the polyacrylonitrile-sulfur composite material having an sp.sup.2 hybrid proportion, with respect to the total carbon atoms included in the composite material, of greater than or equal to 85% including the method steps: a) reaction of polyacrylonitrile with sulfur at a temperature of greater than or equal to 450 C., in particular greater than or equal to 550 C.; b) immediate purification of the product obtained in method step a); and c) drying the purified product, if necessary. A composite material manufactured in this way may be used in particular in an active material of a cathode of a lithium-ion battery and offers a particularly high rate capacity. In addition, methods are provided for manufacturing an active material for an electrode, a polyacrylonitrile-sulfur composite material and an energy store.

A method is provided for manufacturing a polyacrylonitrile-sulfur composite material, the polyacrylonitrile-sulfur composite material having an sp.sup.2 hybrid proportion, with respect to the total carbon atoms included in the composite material, of greater than or equal to 85% including the method steps: a) reaction of polyacrylonitrile with sulfur at a temperature of greater than or equal to 450 C., in particular greater than or equal to 550 C.; b) immediate purification of the product obtained in method step a); and c) drying the purified product, if necessary. A composite material manufactured in this way may be used in particular in an active material of a cathode of a lithium-ion battery and offers a particularly high rate capacity. In addition, methods are provided for manufacturing an active material for an electrode, a polyacrylonitrile-sulfur composite material and an energy store.

A surface physical property modifier composition includes (A) a wax, (B) a vinyl (co)polymer, and (C) an aliphatic hydrocarbon having a carbon number of 5 to 14. Component (A) is set to be at least one selected from the group consisting of (a1) paraffin wax, (a2) microcrystalline wax, (a3) Fischer-Tropsch wax, and (a4) polyethylene wax, and component (B) is produced from at least one of (b1) a (meth)acrylonitrile, (b2) a (meth)acrylic acid having a carbon number of 1 to 4, (b3) a hydroxyethyl (meth)acrylate or hydroxypropyl (meth)acrylate, (b4) styrene, and (b5) predetermined (meth)acrylic acid alkyl esters. Component (A) is 50 to 98 parts by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the total of (A) and (B), and component (C) is 0.001 to 1 percent by mass relative to the total amount of (A).

A method for synthesizing polyacrylonitrile (PAN) polymer with a narrow molecular weight distribution is disclosed. The preferred PAN polymer has a PDI (Mw/Mn) of about 2 or less. Such PAN polymer is synthesized by controlled/living radical polymerization using a special RAFT (Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer) agent. Also disclosed is a method for producing carbon fibers from PAN polymer with low PDI.

A method for synthesizing polyacrylonitrile (PAN) polymer with a narrow molecular weight distribution is disclosed. The preferred PAN polymer has a PDI (Mw/Mn) of about 2 or less. Such PAN polymer is synthesized by controlled/living radical polymerization using a special RAFT (Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer) agent. Also disclosed is a method for producing carbon fibers from PAN polymer with low PDI.

A method of making carbon fiber material according to various embodiments of the present disclosure includes forming a polymer resin to have a polydispersity index (PDI) that is less than approximately 2.5. The method further includes spinning the polymer resin to create an acrylic fiber having an acrylic fiber length. The method further includes oxidizing the acrylic fiber while stretching the acrylic fiber to create an oxidized fiber that has an oxidized fiber length that is at least one of greater than or equal to approximately 100 percent (100%) of the acrylic fiber length. The method further includes carbonizing the oxidized fiber to create a carbon fiber.

A method of making carbon fiber material according to various embodiments of the present disclosure includes forming a polymer resin to have a polydispersity index (PDI) that is less than approximately 2.5. The method further includes spinning the polymer resin to create an acrylic fiber having an acrylic fiber length. The method further includes oxidizing the acrylic fiber while stretching the acrylic fiber to create an oxidized fiber that has an oxidized fiber length that is at least one of greater than or equal to approximately 100 percent (100%) of the acrylic fiber length. The method further includes carbonizing the oxidized fiber to create a carbon fiber.

Metal oxide having a surface onto which a multitude of individual polymers are grafted, each polymer comprising an addition polymer having a first and a second end, and a first moiety comprising a terminal phosphonate group, which first moiety is bonded to the first end, which phosphonate group attaches to the metal oxide surface in such a way that the multitude of the grafted polymers comprises at least one group of adjacent polymers that have a stretched chain conformation wherein the adjacent stretched chains have a substantially parallel orientation, such that the polymers within said group together form a brush structure. Method of grafting a multitude of individual polymers onto a surface of a metal oxide.

A method for synthesizing polyacrylonitrile (PAN) polymer with a narrow molecular weight distribution is disclosed. The preferred PAN polymer has a PDI (Mw/Mn) of about 2 or less. Such PAN polymer is synthesized by controlled/living radical polymerization using a special RAFT (Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer) agent. Also disclosed is a method for producing carbon fibers from PAN polymer with low PDI.

A method for synthesizing polyacrylonitrile (PAN) polymer with a narrow molecular weight distribution is disclosed. The preferred PAN polymer has a PDI (Mw/Mn) of about 2 or less. Such PAN polymer is synthesized by controlled/living radical polymerization using a special RAFT (Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer) agent. Also disclosed is a method for producing carbon fibers from PAN polymer with low PDI.