Fabrication and Characterization of Carbon Fiber Derived from Woody Biomass

Abstract

Douglas fir wood flour was liquefied in the presence of phenol/catalytic amounts of sulfuric acid mixture, after which formalin was added and reacted. Then, the free phenol was distilled off under reduced pressure from the reaction mixture to obtain the liquefied and resinified wood. The liquefied and resinified wood was melt spun, stabilized by three dimensional curing and finally carbonized at 900°C. Carbon fiber made from liquefied wood without reaction with formaldehyde resulted in the formation of macropores in it, which were found by SEM observations. The resinification of the liquefied wood with adequate amounts of formaldehyde prevented the formation of the macropores, which was endorsed by carbonization of synthetic novolak fibers. Measurements of carbonization yield by TGA comes into line with these observations.