The present disclosure relates to methods for using functional molecules and other structural carbon-based molecules with rigid backbones and kinked segments to alter the interactions between molecules, and consequently improve/modify the properties of materials. In particular, the disclosure provides methods for using functional molecules and other structural carbon-based molecules with rigid backbones and kinked segments as (1) precursors for carbon fiber, (2) molecular agents to separate and/or link - stacked aromatic systems, 3) stabilizers in composite materials to achieve better blending of matrix with fiber reinforcement, and/or (4) one of the components in carbon fibers to achieve better mechanical properties.

The present disclosure relates to methods for using functional molecules and other structural carbon-based molecules with rigid backbones and kinked segments to alter the interactions between molecules, and consequently improve/modify the properties of materials. In particular, the disclosure provides methods for using functional molecules and other structural carbon-based molecules with rigid backbones and kinked segments as (1) precursors for carbon fiber, (2) molecular agents to separate and/or link - stacked aromatic systems, 3) stabilizers in composite materials to achieve better blending of matrix with fiber reinforcement, and/or (4) one of the components in carbon fibers to achieve better mechanical properties.

The present invention relates to a particulate porous carbon material having a continuous porous structure, the particulate porous carbon material satisfying the following A to C: A: branch portions forming the continuous porous structure have an aspect ratio of 3 or higher; B: the branch portions have aggregated through joints interposed therebetween, the number of the aggregated branch portions (N) being 3 or larger; C: a ratio of the number of the aggregated branch portions (N) to the number of the joints (n), N/n, is 1.2 or larger.

A molybdenum disulfide/graphene/carbon composite material having a hierarchical pore structure includes a composite nanofiber having a diameter of 60 to 500 nm. The composite nanofiber comprises, in mass percentage, 3% to 35% of molybdenum disulfide, 0.2% to 10% of graphene, and 60% to 95% of carbon. The composite nanofiber has a hierarchical pore structure distributed along the axial direction, and has a pore diameter continuously distributed between 0.1 nm and 5 ?m and an average pore diameter between 1.5 nm and 25 nm. On the basis of the pore volume, in the hierarchical pore structure, a micropore structure accounts for 25% to 60%, and a mesoporous structure accounts for 40% to 75%. The microporous structure is distributed on the surface of the nanofiber and the pore wall of the mesoporous structure.

A new class of cost-effective carbon fiber precursors that comprise both hydrocarbon polymer and Pitch structural features in the same polymer structure to exhibit complementary advantages of both PAN- and Pitch-based carbon fiber precursors. The new class of carbon fiber precursors comprise a polymeric pitch copolymer, wherein the polymeric pitch copolymer includes a polymer chain and several pitch polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules grafted or chemically bonded to the polymer chain. Method and processes for the creation of the new class of carbon fiber precursors are also presented, wherein said methods may comprise a thermally-induced coupling and extrusion step.

There is provided a method of making a fiber having improved resistance to microfracture formation at a fiber-matrix interface. The method includes mixing a plurality of nanostructures and one or more first polymers in a first solvent to form an inner-volume portion mixture, mixing one or more second polymers in a second solvent to form an outer-volume portion mixture, spinning the inner-volume portion mixture and the outer-volume portion mixture to form a precursor fiber, heating the precursor fiber to oxidize the precursor fiber and to change a molecular-bond structure of the precursor fiber, and obtaining a fiber. The fiber has an inner-volume portion with a first outer diameter, the nanostructures, and with the one or more first polymers, and has an outer-volume portion with a second outer diameter and the one or more second polymers, the outer-volume portion being in contact with and completely encompassing the inner-volume portion.

There is provided an oxidation heat treatment oven including a heat treatment chamber configured to heat-treat a fiber bundle that is an aligned acrylic fiber bundle in an oxidizing atmosphere to form an oxidized fiber bundle; a slit-shaped opening configured to take the fiber bundle in and out of the heat treatment chamber; guide rollers installed at both ends of the heat treatment chamber and configured to turn the fiber bundle back; a hot air supply nozzle that has a longitudinal axis along the width of the fiber bundle traveling and that blows out hot air, in a direction substantially parallel to a traveling direction of the fiber bundle, above and/or below the fiber bundle traveling in the heat treatment chamber; and a suction nozzle configured to suck the hot air blown out from the hot air supply nozzle, in which the hot air supply nozzle satisfies disclosed conditions (1) to (3).

There is provided an oxidation heat treatment oven including a heat treatment chamber configured to heat-treat a fiber bundle that is an aligned acrylic fiber bundle in an oxidizing atmosphere to form an oxidized fiber bundle; a slit-shaped opening configured to take the fiber bundle in and out of the heat treatment chamber; guide rollers installed at both ends of the heat treatment chamber and configured to turn the fiber bundle back; a hot air supply nozzle that has a longitudinal axis along the width of the fiber bundle traveling and that blows out hot air, in a direction substantially parallel to a traveling direction of the fiber bundle, above and/or below the fiber bundle traveling in the heat treatment chamber; and a suction nozzle configured to suck the hot air blown out from the hot air supply nozzle, in which the hot air supply nozzle satisfies disclosed conditions (1) to (3).

A carbon fiber manufacturing method includes joining first and second target fiber bundles with a joining fiber bundle, and carbonizing the joined bundles by feeding them through one or more carbonization furnaces. The joining includes forming an overlap between a first end of the joining fiber bundle and a second end of the first target fiber bundle and jetting a fluid to the overlap to form a first entangled portion, and forming an overlap between a second end of the joining fiber bundle and a first end of the second target fiber bundle and jetting a fluid to the overlap to form a second entangled portion. When the first and second entangled portions each have two or more entangling points with a tensile strength not less than 400 N, the relationship defined by the inequality is satisfied: 40>{L2/(L2A)}(S+13), where L2 is a length (mm) of an elongation section inside a first carbonization furnace upstream in a feeding direction of the fiber bundles, A is a maximum distance (mm) between an entangling point in the first entangled portion and an entangling point in the second entangled portion, and S is an elongation (%) of the joined fiber bundles fed through the carbonization furnace.

A carbon fiber manufacturing method includes joining first and second target fiber bundles with a joining fiber bundle, and carbonizing the joined bundles by feeding them through one or more carbonization furnaces. The joining includes forming an overlap between a first end of the joining fiber bundle and a second end of the first target fiber bundle and jetting a fluid to the overlap to form a first entangled portion, and forming an overlap between a second end of the joining fiber bundle and a first end of the second target fiber bundle and jetting a fluid to the overlap to form a second entangled portion. When the first and second entangled portions each have two or more entangling points with a tensile strength not less than 400 N, the relationship defined by the inequality is satisfied: 40>{L2/(L2A)}(S+13), where L2 is a length (mm) of an elongation section inside a first carbonization furnace upstream in a feeding direction of the fiber bundles, A is a maximum distance (mm) between an entangling point in the first entangled portion and an entangling point in the second entangled portion, and S is an elongation (%) of the joined fiber bundles fed through the carbonization furnace.