An activated carbon fiber is obtained by activating: a polyphenylene ether fiber that contains a polyphenylene ether component having a rearrangement structure connected by a bond at an ortho-position in a repeating unit continuously bonded at a para-position; an infusibilized polyphenylene ether fiber obtained by infusibilizing the polyphenylene ether fiber; a flameproofed polyphenylene ether fiber obtained by flameproofing the polyphenylene ether fiber or the infusibilized polyphenylene ether fiber; or a carbon fiber obtained by carbonizing any of the polyphenylene ether fibers.

A method of producing a textile sensor includes: obtaining an organic fabric; carbonizing the organic fabric by applying heat to the organic fabric in an inert environment to form a conductive fabric; and attaching one or more electrical terminals to the conductive fabric. The method includes coating the conductive fabric with a polymeric encapsulating material. The method includes, for each of the one or more electrical terminals, connecting a first end of a flexible conductor to the electrical terminal and connecting a second end of each flexible conductor to a wireless interface printed circuit board. The textile sensor comprises at least one of a pressure sensor, a proximity sensor, a touch sensor, a strain sensor, a wind sensor, a temperature sensor, a heating element, a triboelectric sensor, and an energy harvester.

A method of producing a textile sensor includes: obtaining an organic fabric; carbonizing the organic fabric by applying heat to the organic fabric in an inert environment to form a conductive fabric; and attaching one or more electrical terminals to the conductive fabric. The method includes coating the conductive fabric with a polymeric encapsulating material. The method includes, for each of the one or more electrical terminals, connecting a first end of a flexible conductor to the electrical terminal and connecting a second end of each flexible conductor to a wireless interface printed circuit board. The textile sensor comprises at least one of a pressure sensor, a proximity sensor, a touch sensor, a strain sensor, a wind sensor, a temperature sensor, a heating element, a triboelectric sensor, and an energy harvester.

A method for producing a gas diffusion layer for a fuel cell, including providing a fiber composition which includes carbon fibers and/or precursors of carbon fibers and subjecting the fiber composition to a method for producing a fibrous web. The method further includes consolidating the fibrous web by exposure to aqueous fluid jets to form a nonwoven, water used by the aqueous fluid jets having a conductivity of at most 250 microsiemens/cm at 25 C. If the fiber composition includes precursors of carbon fibers, the nonwoven is subjected to pyrolysis at a temperature of at least 1000 C.

A method for producing a gas diffusion layer for a fuel cell, including providing a fiber composition which includes carbon fibers and/or precursors of carbon fibers and subjecting the fiber composition to a method for producing a fibrous web. The method further includes consolidating the fibrous web by exposure to aqueous fluid jets to form a nonwoven, water used by the aqueous fluid jets having a conductivity of at most 250 microsiemens/cm at 25 C. If the fiber composition includes precursors of carbon fibers, the nonwoven is subjected to pyrolysis at a temperature of at least 1000 C.

An activated carbon fiber is obtained by activating: a polyphenylene ether fiber that contains a polyphenylene ether component having a rearrangement structure connected by a bond at an ortho-position in a repeating unit continuously bonded at a para-position; an infusibilized polyphenylene ether fiber obtained by infusibilizing the polyphenylene ether fiber; a flameproofed polyphenylene ether fiber obtained by flameproofing the polyphenylene ether fiber or the infusibilized polyphenylene ether fiber; or a carbon fiber obtained by carbonizing any of the polyphenylene ether fibers.

An activated carbon fiber is obtained by activating: a polyphenylene ether fiber that contains a polyphenylene ether component having a rearrangement structure connected by a bond at an ortho-position in a repeating unit continuously bonded at a para-position; an infusibilized polyphenylene ether fiber obtained by infusibilizing the polyphenylene ether fiber; a flameproofed polyphenylene ether fiber obtained by flameproofing the polyphenylene ether fiber or the infusibilized polyphenylene ether fiber; or a carbon fiber obtained by carbonizing any of the polyphenylene ether fibers.

A woven fiber structure presenting over at least one of its outside faces a satin weave formed by interlinking a first set of yarns with a second set of yarns; wherein the first set of yarns is in the majority over the outside face, the first set of yarns being formed by a mixture of yarns having an S-twist and of yarns having a Z-twist.

A woven fiber structure presenting over at least one of its outside faces a satin weave formed by interlinking a first set of yarns with a second set of yarns; wherein the first set of yarns is in the majority over the outside face, the first set of yarns being formed by a mixture of yarns having an S-twist and of yarns having a Z-twist.

A carbon fiber manufacturing method with which high quality carbon fibers can be obtained. The carbon fiber manufacturing method includes introducing carbon fiber precursor fiber bundles that have been spread in sheet form into a flameproofing furnace, flameproofing the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundles introduced into the flameproofing furnace in a temperature range of 200 C. to 300 C., introducing the flameproofed fiber bundles obtained from the flameproofing treatment into a carbonization furnace, and carbonizing the flameproofed fiber bundles introduced into the carbonization furnace in a temperature range of 300 C. to 2500 C. The flameproofing furnace includes a heat-treatment chamber and a sealing chamber adjacent thereto and discharges air from the sealing chamber to outside of the flameproofing furnace. The space velocity (SV) (1/h) of hot air blown from the heat-treatment chamber into the sealing chamber satisfies relationship: 80SV400.