Poly-(caffeyl alcohol) (PCFA), also known as C-lignin, is a promising new source of both carbon fibers and pure carbon. PCFA can be used to produce carbon fibers by direct electrospinning, without blending with another polymer to reduce breakage. Analyses have shown that the carbon obtained from PCFA is superior to that obtained from other lignins. The fibers formed from PCFA are smoother, have a narrower diameter distribution, and show very low defects. The PCFA can be obtained by extraction from plant seed coats. Examples of these plants include the vanilla orchid, Vanilla planifolia, and Jatropha curcas. The fibers may be formed through electrospinning, although other methods for forming the fibers, such as extrusion with a carrier polymer, could be used. The fibers may then be carbonized to increase the carbon yield.

Provided is a supported catalyst for producing carbon nanotubes with a large specific surface area. The supported catalyst enables the production of carbon nanotubes with a large specific surface area in high yield. Therefore, the catalyst can be used in various fields. Also provided are carbon nanotubes produced using the supported catalyst.

The invention is directed to carbon fibers having high tensile strength and modulus of elasticity. The invention also provides a method and apparatus for making the carbon fibers. The method comprises advancing a precursor fiber through an oxidation oven wherein the fiber is subjected to controlled stretching in an oxidizing atmosphere in which tension loads are distributed amongst a plurality of passes through the oxidation oven, which permits higher cumulative stretches to be achieved. The method also includes subjecting the fiber to controlled stretching in two or more of the passes that is sufficient to cause the fiber to undergo one or more transitions in each of the two or more passes. The invention is also directed to an oxidation oven having a plurality of cooperating drive rolls in series that can be driven independently of each other so that the amount of stretch applied to the oven in each of the plurality of passes can be independently controlled.

Methods of producing silicon carbide, and other metal carbide materials. The method comprises reacting a carbon material (e.g., fibers, or nanoparticles, such as powder, platelet, foam, nanofiber, nanorod, nanotube, whisker, graphene (e.g., graphite), fullerene, or hydrocarbon) and a metal or metal oxide source material (e.g., in gaseous form) in a reaction chamber at an elevated temperature ranging up to approximately 2400 C. or more, depending on the particular metal or metal oxide, and the desired metal carbide being produced. A partial pressure of oxygen in the reaction chamber is maintained at less than approximately 1.0110.sup.2 Pascal, and overall pressure is maintained at approximately 1 atm.

A carbon fiber sizing agent imparts good bonding performance to carbon fiber, is used to reinforce a thermoplastic matrix resin, and provides a carbon fiber strand applied with the sizing agent and a fiber-reinforced composite reinforced with the carbon fiber strand. The sizing agent for carbon fiber is used to reinforce thermoplastic matrix resin. The sizing agent essentially contains a polymer component having a glass transition temperature of at least 20 deg.C. and exhibits no endothermic peaks indicating an endothermic heat of fusion due to crystalline melting of at least 3 J/g in a determination with a DSC. The weight ratio of the polymer component is 10 to 100 wt % of the nonvolatile components of the sizing agent. The polymer component is at least one component selected from the group consisting of an aromatic polyester resin, aromatic polyester-polyurethane resin and amine-modified aromatic epoxy resin.

A composite Si-carbon fiber comprising a carbon matrix material with 1-90 wt % silicon embedded therein. The composite carbon fibers are incorporated into electrodes for batteries. The battery can be a lithium ion battery. A method of making an electrode incorporating composite Si-carbon fibers is also disclosed.

In various embodiments an improved binder composition, electrolyte composition and a separator film composition using discrete carbon nanotubes. Their methods of production and utility for energy storage and collection devices, like batteries, capacitors and photovoltaics, is described. The binder, electrolyte, or separator composition can further comprise polymers. The discrete carbon nanotubes further comprise at least a portion of the tubes being open ended and/or functionalized. The utility of the binder, electrolyte or separator film composition includes improved capacity, power or durability in energy storage and collection devices. The utility of the electrolyte and or separator film compositions includes improved ion transport in energy storage and collection devices.

Poly-(caffeyl alcohol) (PCFA), also known as C-lignin, is a promising new source of both carbon fibers and pure carbon. PCFA can be used to produce carbon fibers by direct electrospinning, without blending with another polymer to reduce breakage. Analyses have shown that the carbon obtained from PCFA is superior to that obtained from other lignins. The fibers formed from PCFA are smoother, have a narrower diameter distribution, and show very low defects. The PCFA can be obtained by extraction from plant seed coats. Examples of these plants include the vanilla orchid, Vanilla planifolia, and Jatropha curcas. The fibers may be formed through electrospinning, although other methods for forming the fibers, such as extrusion with a carrier polymer, could be used. The fibers may then be carbonized to increase the carbon yield.

A method for producing ceramic fibers of a composition in the SiC range, starts from a spinning material that contains a polysilane-polycarbosilane copolymer solution. The spinning material is extruded through spinnerets in a dry spinning method and spun through a spinning duct into green fibers, and the green fibers are subsequently pyrolyzed. Accordingly, the polysilane-polycarbosilane solution contains between 75 wt. % and 95 wt. %, in particular between 80 and 90 wt. %, of an indifferent solvent, and the spinnerets have a capillary diameter between 20 and 70 m, in particular between 30 and 60 m, in particular between 40 and 50 m.

(Problem) In conventional method for producing artificial graphite, in order to obtain a product having excellent crystallinity, it was necessary to mold a filler and a binder and then repeat impregnation, carbonization and graphitization, and since carbonization and graphitization proceeded by a solid phase reaction, a period of time of as long as 2 to 3 months was required for the production and cost was high and further, a large size structure in the shape of column and cylinder could not be produced. In addition, nanocarbon materials such as carbon nanotube, carbon nanofiber and carbon nanohorn could not be produced. (Means to Solve) A properly pre-baked filler is sealed in a graphite vessel and is subsequently subjected to hot isostatic pressing (HIP) treatment, thereby allowing gases such as hydrocarbon and hydrogen to be generated from the filler and precipitating vapor-phase-grown graphite around and inside the filler using the generated gases as a source material, and thereby, an integrated structure of carbide of the filler and the vapor-phase-grown graphite is produced. In addition, nanocarbon materials are produced selectively and efficiently by adding a catalyst or adjusting the HIP treating temperature.