Vapor grown carbon fibers production

Vapor grown carbon fiber (VGCF) is the descriptive name of a class of carbon fiber which is distinctively different from other types of carbon fiber in its method of production, its unique physical characteristics, and the prospect of low cost fabrication. Simply stated, this type of carbon fiber is synthesized from the pyrolysis of hydrocarbons or carbon monoxide in the gaseous state, in the presence of a catalyst in contrast to a melt-spinning process common to other types of carbon fiber. 

The direct linking of carbon nanotubes to graphite and the continuity in synthesis, structure and properties between carbon nanotubes and vapor grown carbon fibers is reviewed by the present leaders of this area, Professor M. Endo, H. Kroto, and co-workers. Further insight into the growth mechanism is presented in the article by Colbert and Smalley. New synthesis methods leading to enhanced production... 

Valuable contributions on VGCF are given in the book on Carbon Fibers Filaments and Composites [6] and Varshavskii [7] has reviewed the preparation of carbon fibers from the gas phase. The production of vapor grown carbon fibers is also described in the references [8-13]. The first commercial VGCF was produced by Nikkoso in 1991 and called Grasker. 

Masuda T, Mukai SR, Hashimoto K, The production of long vapor grown carbon-fibers at high growth-rates. Carbon, 30(1), 124-126, 1992. 

Serp P, Madronero A, Figueiredo JL, Production of vapor-grown carbon-fibers influence of the catalyst precursor and operating conditions. Fuel, 78(7), 837-844, 1999. 

Certainly, the future of carbon fibers may be strongly influenced by nanofibers and Pyrograf Products Inc., a subsidiary of Applied Sciences Inc., have built a plant to produce Pyrograf III-R a vapor grown carbon nanofiber. 

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