In a method of making a carbon fiber, carbon nanotubes (CNT) are mixed into a solution including polyacrylonitrile (PAN) so as to form a CNT/PAN mixture. At least one PAN/CNT fiber is formed from the mixture. A first predetermined electrical current is applied to the PAN/CNT fiber until the PAN/CNT fiber is a stabilized PAN/CNT fiber. A heatable fabric that includes a plurality of fibers that each have an axis. Each of the plurality of fibers includes polyacrylonitrile and carbon nanotubes dispersed in the polyacrylonitrile in a predetermined weight percent thereof and aligned along the axes of the plurality of fibers. The plurality of fibers are woven into a fabric. A current source is configured to apply an electrical current through the plurality of fibers, thereby causing the fibers to generate heat.

A process is disclosed herein comprising the steps: a) contacting an esterifying agent and a polysaccharide in the presence of a first solvent and suitable reaction conditions for a reaction time sufficient to form a product comprising a polysaccharide ester composition, the polysaccharide ester composition comprising a polysaccharide ester having a degree of substitution of about 0.001 to about 3; wherein the esterifying agent comprises an acyl halide, a phosphoryl halide, a carboxylic acid anhydride, a haloformic acid ester, a carbonic acid ester, or a vinyl ester; and the ratio of esterifying agent to polysaccharide is in the range of about 0.001:1 to about 3:1 on a molar equivalent basis; b) combining the product obtained in step a) with polyacrylonitrile; and c) spinning fibers.

A process is disclosed herein comprising the steps: a) contacting an esterifying agent and a polysaccharide in the presence of a first solvent and suitable reaction conditions for a reaction time sufficient to form a product comprising a polysaccharide ester composition, the polysaccharide ester composition comprising a polysaccharide ester having a degree of substitution of about 0.001 to about 3; wherein the esterifying agent comprises an acyl halide, a phosphoryl halide, a carboxylic acid anhydride, a haloformic acid ester, a carbonic acid ester, or a vinyl ester; and the ratio of esterifying agent to polysaccharide is in the range of about 0.001:1 to about 3:1 on a molar equivalent basis; b) combining the product obtained in step a) with polyacrylonitrile; and c) spinning fibers.

Disclosed are polymer nanofiber sensors for detecting gas, which generates visible color change although a specific gas having a concentration of less than 1 ppm is exposed to the sensor in a short time, in which it is impossible to detect the gas using existing colorimetric sensors, through securing high surface area and porosity, and a method of the same.

Disclosed are polymer nanofiber sensors for detecting gas, which generates visible color change although a specific gas having a concentration of less than 1 ppm is exposed to the sensor in a short time, in which it is impossible to detect the gas using existing colorimetric sensors, through securing high surface area and porosity, and a method of the same.

A method for producing polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber, the method comprising: (i) mixing PAN with an ionic liquid in which the PAN is soluble to produce a PAN composite melt in which the PAN is dissolved in the ionic liquid; (ii) melt spinning the PAN composite melt to produce the PAN fiber; and (iii) washing the PAN fiber with a solvent in which the ionic liquid is soluble to substantially remove the ionic liquid from the PAN fiber. Also described herein is a method for producing carbon fiber from the PAN fiber as produced above, the method comprising oxidatively stabilizing the PAN fiber produced in step (iii), followed by carbonizing the stabilized PAN fiber to produce the carbon fiber. The initially produced PAN fiber, stabilized PAN fiber, resulting carbon fiber, and articles made thereof are also described.

A method for producing polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber, the method comprising: (i) mixing PAN with an ionic liquid in which the PAN is soluble to produce a PAN composite melt in which the PAN is dissolved in the ionic liquid; (ii) melt spinning the PAN composite melt to produce the PAN fiber; and (iii) washing the PAN fiber with a solvent in which the ionic liquid is soluble to substantially remove the ionic liquid from the PAN fiber. Also described herein is a method for producing carbon fiber from the PAN fiber as produced above, the method comprising oxidatively stabilizing the PAN fiber produced in step (iii), followed by carbonizing the stabilized PAN fiber to produce the carbon fiber. The initially produced PAN fiber, stabilized PAN fiber, resulting carbon fiber, and articles made thereof are also described.

A fabric for arc-protective garments includes first yarns and second yarns different from the first yarns. The first yarns include first modacrylic fibers, and the first modacrylic fibers contain an infrared absorber in an amount of 2.5 wt % or more with respect to a total weight of the first modacrylic fibers. The weight of the infrared absorber per unit area in the fabric for arc-protective garments is 0.05 oz/yd.sup.2 or more. An arc-protective garment includes the fabric for arc-protective garments.

A fabric for arc-protective garments includes first yarns and second yarns different from the first yarns. The first yarns include first modacrylic fibers, and the first modacrylic fibers contain an infrared absorber in an amount of 2.5 wt % or more with respect to a total weight of the first modacrylic fibers. The weight of the infrared absorber per unit area in the fabric for arc-protective garments is 0.05 oz/yd.sup.2 or more. An arc-protective garment includes the fabric for arc-protective garments.

The present invention relates to an energy saving method for separating an unreacted monomer, by which an unreacted monomer may be easily recovered from a mixture solution including an unreacted monomer, and a separation system which is capable of performing the method.