US20180179697A1 - Carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus - Google Patents
Carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus Download PDFInfo
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- US20180179697A1 US20180179697A1 US15/389,693 US201615389693A US2018179697A1 US 20180179697 A1 US20180179697 A1 US 20180179697A1 US 201615389693 A US201615389693 A US 201615389693A US 2018179697 A1 US2018179697 A1 US 2018179697A1
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- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D01—NATURAL OR MAN-MADE THREADS OR FIBRES; SPINNING
- D01F—CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBON FILAMENTS
- D01F9/00—Artificial filaments or the like of other substances; Manufacture thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture of carbon filaments
- D01F9/08—Artificial filaments or the like of other substances; Manufacture thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture of carbon filaments of inorganic material
- D01F9/12—Carbon filaments; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture thereof
- D01F9/14—Carbon filaments; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture thereof by decomposition of organic filaments
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06M—TREATMENT, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE IN CLASS D06, OF FIBRES, THREADS, YARNS, FABRICS, FEATHERS OR FIBROUS GOODS MADE FROM SUCH MATERIALS
- D06M10/00—Physical treatment of fibres, threads, yarns, fabrics, or fibrous goods made from such materials, e.g. ultrasonic, corona discharge, irradiation, electric currents, or magnetic fields; Physical treatment combined with treatment with chemical compounds or elements
- D06M10/02—Physical treatment of fibres, threads, yarns, fabrics, or fibrous goods made from such materials, e.g. ultrasonic, corona discharge, irradiation, electric currents, or magnetic fields; Physical treatment combined with treatment with chemical compounds or elements ultrasonic or sonic; Corona discharge
- D06M10/025—Corona discharge or low temperature plasma
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D01—NATURAL OR MAN-MADE THREADS OR FIBRES; SPINNING
- D01F—CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBON FILAMENTS
- D01F11/00—Chemical after-treatment of artificial filaments or the like during manufacture
- D01F11/10—Chemical after-treatment of artificial filaments or the like during manufacture of carbon
- D01F11/14—Chemical after-treatment of artificial filaments or the like during manufacture of carbon with organic compounds, e.g. macromolecular compounds
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D01—NATURAL OR MAN-MADE THREADS OR FIBRES; SPINNING
- D01F—CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBON FILAMENTS
- D01F11/00—Chemical after-treatment of artificial filaments or the like during manufacture
- D01F11/10—Chemical after-treatment of artificial filaments or the like during manufacture of carbon
- D01F11/16—Chemical after-treatment of artificial filaments or the like during manufacture of carbon by physicochemical methods
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D01—NATURAL OR MAN-MADE THREADS OR FIBRES; SPINNING
- D01F—CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBON FILAMENTS
- D01F9/00—Artificial filaments or the like of other substances; Manufacture thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture of carbon filaments
- D01F9/08—Artificial filaments or the like of other substances; Manufacture thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture of carbon filaments of inorganic material
- D01F9/12—Carbon filaments; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture thereof
- D01F9/14—Carbon filaments; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture thereof by decomposition of organic filaments
- D01F9/20—Carbon filaments; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture thereof by decomposition of organic filaments from polyaddition, polycondensation or polymerisation products
- D01F9/21—Carbon filaments; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture thereof by decomposition of organic filaments from polyaddition, polycondensation or polymerisation products from macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
- D01F9/22—Carbon filaments; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture thereof by decomposition of organic filaments from polyaddition, polycondensation or polymerisation products from macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds from polyacrylonitriles
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D01—NATURAL OR MAN-MADE THREADS OR FIBRES; SPINNING
- D01F—CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBON FILAMENTS
- D01F9/00—Artificial filaments or the like of other substances; Manufacture thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture of carbon filaments
- D01F9/08—Artificial filaments or the like of other substances; Manufacture thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture of carbon filaments of inorganic material
- D01F9/12—Carbon filaments; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture thereof
- D01F9/14—Carbon filaments; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture thereof by decomposition of organic filaments
- D01F9/32—Apparatus therefor
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D01—NATURAL OR MAN-MADE THREADS OR FIBRES; SPINNING
- D01F—CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBON FILAMENTS
- D01F9/00—Artificial filaments or the like of other substances; Manufacture thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture of carbon filaments
- D01F9/08—Artificial filaments or the like of other substances; Manufacture thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture of carbon filaments of inorganic material
- D01F9/12—Carbon filaments; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture thereof
- D01F9/14—Carbon filaments; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture thereof by decomposition of organic filaments
- D01F9/32—Apparatus therefor
- D01F9/328—Apparatus therefor for manufacturing filaments from polyaddition, polycondensation, or polymerisation products
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- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06M—TREATMENT, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE IN CLASS D06, OF FIBRES, THREADS, YARNS, FABRICS, FEATHERS OR FIBROUS GOODS MADE FROM SUCH MATERIALS
- D06M15/00—Treating fibres, threads, yarns, fabrics, or fibrous goods made from such materials, with macromolecular compounds; Such treatment combined with mechanical treatment
- D06M15/19—Treating fibres, threads, yarns, fabrics, or fibrous goods made from such materials, with macromolecular compounds; Such treatment combined with mechanical treatment with synthetic macromolecular compounds
- D06M15/37—Macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
- D06M15/55—Epoxy resins
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- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D10—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES
- D10B—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES
- D10B2101/00—Inorganic fibres
- D10B2101/10—Inorganic fibres based on non-oxides other than metals
- D10B2101/12—Carbon; Pitch
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D10—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES
- D10B—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES
- D10B2321/00—Fibres made from polymers obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
- D10B2321/10—Fibres made from polymers obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds polymers of unsaturated nitriles, e.g. polyacrylonitrile, polyvinylidene cyanide
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus, and more particularly to a carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus which can greatly improve the sizing quality of a carbon fiber and effectively reduce the cost of the carbon fiber production equipment and the working time.
- Carbon fibers are classified into carbon fibers or graphite fibers according to their carbon contents, which have excellent mechanical properties and electrical properties and can be widely used in various applications.
- a conventional carbon fiber is achieved by bundling precursor fibers, such as polyacrylonitrile fibers, to form a carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle, and then the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle is calcined (high-temperature carbonization) to form the carbon fiber.
- PAN polyacrylonitrile
- the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundles are heated to form carbon fibers or graphite fibers by different heating apparatuses according to the application of the carbon fibers.
- the carbon content of the fibers of graphite fibers is 90% or more, forming a two-dimensional carbocyclic planar net structure and a graphite layer structure having parallel layers.
- the results show that the crystalline region of a high-strength carbon fiber is composed of 5-6 graphite layers, and the crystalline region of a high-strength and high-modulus carbon fiber is composed of 10-20 graphite layers. Theoretically and practically, it is pointed out that the larger the crystalline thickness of the graphite layer is, the higher the tensile modulus of the carbon fiber is.
- untreated carbon fibers have insufficient adhesion to a matrix resin and have poor transverse properties such as separation strength and shear strength. Therefore, they are less directly utilized. They are usually combined with the matrix resin to form carbon fiber composite materials in accordance with their applications.
- the surface of the carbon fiber after carbonization is coated with a layer of oiling agent (in the sizing step) before it leaves the factory.
- the layer of oiling agent is used to protect the fiber from breakage due to friction in the subsequent step to affect the overall quality of the carbon fiber.
- the surface of the carbon fiber is excessively finely formed due to high-temperature sintering, and there are few functional groups on the surface. As a result, the fiber and the resin oiling agent cannot be bonded fully. It is known that a heat treatment or electrolysis technique can be applied to the surface treatment of the fiber after the high-temperature carbonization step in order to improve the bonding of the fiber and the resin oiling agent.
- the surface treatment of the carbon fiber is performed by means of heat treatment, a relatively long period of time is required. Besides, the heat treatment is always performed with a large number of fibers at a time, so it is difficult to control the processing quality.
- the surface treatment of the carbon fiber is performed by means of electrolysis, at least one drying process is required before the surface of the fiber is coated with the oiling agent. Moreover, a change of the electrolyte may affect the processing quality. Even the surface of the fiber may have depositions.
- the primary object of the present invention is to provide a carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus which can greatly improve the sizing quality of a carbon fiber and effectively reduce the cost of the carbon fiber production equipment and the working time.
- the carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention comprises a feeding module, a receiving module, a high-temperature carbonization module, a plasma surface treatment module, and a sizing module.
- the receiving module is disposed in the vicinity of the feeding module.
- the feeding module and the receiving module constitute a carbon fiber drag route.
- the high-temperature carbonization module is disposed at the carbon fiber drag route and located between the feeding module and the receiving module for heating the carbon fiber drag route.
- the plasma surface treatment module is disposed at the carbon fiber drag route and located between the high-temperature carbonization module and the receiving module for supplying a plasma gas flow to the carbon fiber drag route.
- the sizing module is disposed at the carbon fiber drag route and located between the plasma surface treatment module and the receiving module for coating a resin oiling agent on the surface of a carbon fiber.
- the carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention can be operated in the integrated operation of the feeding module, the high-temperature carbonization module, the plasma surface treatment module, the sizing module, and the receiving module.
- a carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle released from the feeding module is sequentially processed at a predetermined speed to perform the steps of high-temperature carbonization, plasma surface treatment, sizing, and so on, in a relatively more active and reliable manner.
- the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle is heated to form the carbon fiber, and then the surface of the carbon fiber is formed with the resin oiling agent.
- the surface of the carbon fiber is roughened and provided with functional groups, which is beneficial to enhance the interface bonding of the resin oiling agent and the carbon fiber in the subsequent sizing procedure so as to improve the sizing quality of the carbon fiber greatly.
- the structure of the carbon fiber is more stable and reliable.
- the plasma surface treatment belongs to a dry-type and fast surface treatment technique to effectively reduce the cost of the carbon fiber production equipment and the working time.
- the high-temperature carbonization module has a chamber for the carbon fiber drag route or the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle to pass therethrough.
- the chamber is formed with at least one microwave field concentration area and supplies an inert gas and a high-frequency microwave. Under the protection of the inert gas atmosphere, the electric field of the high-frequency microwave produces a sensing current to heat up and produce a high temperature quickly with the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle passing through the microwave field concentration area.
- the high-temperature carbonization module has a chamber for the carbon fiber drag route or the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle to pass therethrough.
- the chamber is formed with at least one microwave field concentration area and provided with a gas supply module to supply an inert gas and a microwave generating module to supply a high-frequency microwave.
- the electric field of the high-frequency microwave produces a sensing current to heat up and produce a high temperature quickly with the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle passing through the microwave field concentration area.
- the plasma surface treatment module is provided with at least one plasma generator.
- the plasma surface treatment module is provided with at least one plasma generator located at upper and lower positions of the carbon fiber drag route, respectively.
- the chamber is an elliptic chamber.
- the chamber is provided with at least one pair of microwave-sensitive materials.
- the chamber is a flat plate chamber.
- the chamber is a flat plate chamber, and the chamber is provided with at least one pair of microwave-sensitive materials.
- the plasma generator is able to generate the plasma gas flow having a power in the range of 100-10000 Watts.
- the plasma generator is able to generate an atmospheric plasma gas flow having a power in a range of 100-10000 Watts.
- the plasma generator is able to generate a low-pressure plasma gas flow having a power in the range of 100-10000 Watts.
- the plasma generator is able to generate a microwave plasma gas flow having a power in the range of 100-10000 Watts.
- the plasma generator is able to generate a glow plasma gas flow having a power in the range of 100-10000 Watts.
- the sizing module is provided with at least one reservoir.
- the carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus further comprises a drying module.
- the drying module is disposed at the carbon fiber drag route between the sizing module and the receiving module for the resin oiling agent to be adhered to the surface of the carbon fiber firmly.
- the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle is heated to form the carbon fiber in a relatively more active and reliable means, and the surface of the carbon fiber has the resin oiling agent thereon.
- the surface of the carbon fiber can be roughened by the plasma surface treatment module, and the surface of the carbon fiber is provided with the functional groups.
- the sizing quality of the carbon fiber can be greatly improved.
- the microwave focusing heating way of the high-temperature carbonization module the same apparatus can be applied to a carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle whose surface has not been processed with a pre-oxidation treatment or a carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle whose surface has been processed with a pre-oxidation treatment in advance.
- the apparatus can be used to produce general carbon fibers or high modulus carbon fibers (graphite fibers) so as reduce the cost of the carbon fiber production equipment and the working time effectively.
- FIG. 1 is a structural schematic view of a carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a structural schematic view of a high-temperature carbonization module in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 3 is a sectional schematic view of a carbon fiber after finishing a plasma surface treatment through a plasma surface treatment module of the present invention
- FIG. 4 is a sectional schematic view of a carbon fiber after finishing a sizing process through a sizing module of the present invention
- FIG. 5 is a structural schematic view of a carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 6 is a structural schematic view of a high-temperature carbonization module in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 7 a illustrates a SEM image of an object to be tested without plasma treatment
- FIG. 7 b illustrates a SEM image of an object to be tested with the plasma treatment.
- the present invention discloses a carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus which can greatly improve the sizing quality of carbon fibers and effectively reduce the cost of the carbon fiber production equipment and the working time.
- the carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention comprises a feeding module 10 , a receiving module 20 , a high-temperature carbonization module 30 , a plasma surface treatment module 40 , and a sizing module 50 .
- the feeding module 10 is used to supply a carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle 70 A to be processed into a carbon fiber 70 B.
- the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle 70 A may be formed of rayon, poly vinyl alcohol, vinylidene chloride, polyacrylonitrile (PAN), pitch, and the like.
- the surface of the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle 70 A may have not been processed with a pre-oxidation treatment or have been processed with a pre-oxidation treatment in advance.
- the receiving module 20 is disposed in the vicinity of the feeding module 10 , and corresponds to the feeding module 10 to constitute a carbon fiber drag route.
- the receiving module 20 includes a yarn winding assembly 21 to receive the carbon fiber 70 B.
- the yarn winding assembly 21 performs a drag action on the carbon fiber 70 B to be received.
- the high-temperature carbonization module 30 is disposed at the carbon fiber drag route between the feeding module 10 and the receiving module 20 for heating the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle 70 A, enabling the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle 70 A to become the carbon fiber 70 B having a predetermined carbon content.
- the high-temperature carbonization module 30 has a chamber 31 for the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle 70 A to pass therethrough.
- the chamber 31 is formed with at least one microwave field concentration area 311 therein, and is provided with a gas supply module 32 to supply an inert gas and a microwave generating module 33 to supply a high-frequency microwave.
- the electric field of the high-frequency microwave produces a sensing current to heat up and produce a high temperature quickly with the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle 70 A passing through the microwave field concentration area 311 , enabling the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle 70 A to form the carbon fiber 70 B having a predetermined carbon content.
- the plasma surface treatment module 40 is disposed at the carbon fiber drag route between the high-temperature carbonization module 30 and the receiving module 20 to provide a plasma gas flow with a predetermined power to act on the carbon fiber 70 B, such that the surface of the carbon fiber 70 B is formed with a plasma-modified configuration 71 (shown in FIG. 3 ) which is rougher or has more functional groups relative to the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle 70 A.
- the sizing module 50 is disposed at the carbon fiber drag route between the plasma surface treatment module 40 and the receiving module 20 for the plasma-modified configuration 71 on the surface of the carbon fiber 70 B to be coated with a resin oiling agent 80 (as shown in FIG. 4 ).
- the sizing module 50 is provided with at least one reservoir 51 for storing the resin oiling agent 80 .
- the resin oiling agent 80 may be a thermosetting resin oiling agent or a thermoplastic resin oiling agent.
- the carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention can be operated in the integrated operation of the feeding module 10 , the high-temperature carbonization module 30 , the plasma surface treatment module 40 , the sizing module 50 , and the receiving module 20 .
- the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle 70 A released from the feeding module 10 is sequentially processed at a predetermined speed to perform the steps of high-temperature carbonization, plasma surface treatment, sizing, and so on, in a relatively more active and reliable manner.
- the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle 70 A is heated to form the carbon fiber 70 B, and then the surface of the carbon fiber 70 B is formed with the resin oiling agent 80 .
- the plasma surface treatment module 40 is provided with at least one plasma generator 41 for generating a plasma gas flow.
- the plasma surface treatment module 40 is provided with at least one plasma generator 41 disposed at the upper and lower positions of the carbon fiber drag route respectively for generating a plasma gas flow to act on the surface of the carbon fiber 70 B.
- the impurities that originally adhere to the surface of the carbon fiber 70 B can be broken to form small molecules by the impact of the plasma gas flow through the physical reaction (collision) of the plasma gas flow, and then the small molecules are blown away from the surface of the carbon fiber 70 B by the air flow, so that the surface of the carbon fiber 70 B is clean.
- the resin oiling agent 80 can be completely in contact with the carbon fiber 70 B to increase the bonding effect.
- the impact of the plasma gas flow will also form the plasma-modified configuration 71 on the surface of the carbon fiber 70 B.
- the plasma-modified configuration 71 is rougher relative to the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle 70 A, and is further formed with pores.
- the surface of the carbon fiber 70 B is roughened or formed with the pores, which is beneficial to increase the contact area between the resin oiling agent 80 and the carbon fiber 70 B in the subsequent procedure of the sizing module 50 .
- the resin oiling agent 80 penetrates into the pores, and the resin oiling agent 80 is anchored between the pores to form an anchor effect to enhance the bonding effect of the resin oiling agent 80 and the carbon fiber 70 B.
- the plasma gas flow also makes the surface of the carbon fiber 70 B generate a chemical reaction at the same time, so that at least one functional group (such as —OH, —N, etc.) is added to the surface of the carbon fiber 70 B.
- at least one functional group such as —OH, —N, etc.
- the surface tension of the surface of the carbon fiber 70 B is increased due to the presence of the functional group, which is beneficial to improve the wetting effect for the resin oiling agent to be coated on the carbon fiber 70 B.
- the contact angle of the resin oiling agent 80 to the carbon fiber 70 B becomes small, so that the resin oiling agent 80 can be quickly or instantaneously coated on the carbon fiber 70 B, and the speed of the procedure of the sizing module 50 is increased, thereby accelerating the overall production speed of the carbon fiber 70 B.
- the presence of the functional group such as the OH group reacts with the resin oiling agent 80 , such as epoxy resin (Epoxy), to generate hydrogen bonding, thereby increasing the bonding effect.
- the plasma generator 41 is able to generate a plasma gas flow having a power in the range of 100-10000 Watts, or an atmospheric plasma gas flow having a power in a range of 100-10000 Watts, or a low-pressure plasma gas flow having a power in the range of 100-10000 Watts, or a microwave plasma gas flow having a power in the range of 100-10000 Watts, or a glow plasma gas flow having a power in the range of 100-10000 Watts.
- the plasma surface treatment module of the present invention provides a dry-type surface treatment for the carbon fiber. This not only prevents the carbon fiber from generating additional impurities or sediment but also reduces the working time and working procedure of drying after the completion of the plasma surface treatment.
- the carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention may further comprise a drying module 60 .
- the drying module 60 is disposed at the carbon fiber drag route between the sizing module 50 and the receiving module 20 for the resin oiling agent 80 to be firmly adhered to the surface of the carbon fiber 70 B.
- the drying module 60 is provided with at least one blast furnace 61 to generate hot blast.
- the foregoing inert gas may be nitrogen, argon, helium, or a combination thereof.
- the frequency of the high-frequency microwave may be in the range of 300-30,000 MHz, and its microwave power density may be in the range of 1-1000 kW/m 3 .
- the chamber 31 may be an elliptic chamber, or the chamber 31 may be a flat plate chamber (as shown in FIG. 6 ). As shown in FIG. 6 , whatever the chamber 31 is, the chamber 31 is provided with a pair of microwave-sensitive materials 34 therein, thereby enhancing the focusing effect on the microwave field in order to further accelerate the high-temperature carbonization process.
- the microwave-sensitive materials 34 may be one of graphite, carbide, magnetic compound, nitride, and ionic compound or a combination thereof.
- the carbonization of the carbon fiber is enhanced rapidly and more crystalline carbons are formed and stacked, which leads to the formation of larger graphite crystalline molecules, namely, larger graphite crystalline thickness, while deriving a higher microwave induction heating effect is derived.
- Such a cycle generates an autocatalytic reaction, enabling the carbon fiber to be rapidly heated to the graphitization temperature (1500-3000° C.), and carbon atoms are reconstructed and rearranged more rapidly to form a graphite layer.
- the same apparatus can be applied to a carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle whose surface has not been processed with a pre-oxidation treatment or a carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle whose surface has been processed with a pre-oxidation treatment in advance. It is only necessary to adjust the microwave power for the production, the apparatus can be used to produce general carbon fibers (1000-1500° C.) or high modulus carbon fibers (graphite fibers).
- an article to be tested that the resin oiling agent 80 after the drying module 60 is firmly adhered to the surface of the carbon fiber 70 B, and the treatment conditions of the plasma surface treatment module 40 are shown in Table 1 below:
- the ILSS strength (interlayer bonding force) was measured for an object to be tested in an environment of a temperature of 23° C. and a humidity of 50% RH by using an INSTRON measuring machine according to ASTM 2344, and the results are shown in Table 2 below:
- the carbon fiber without the plasma surface treatment the interlayer bonding force of the object to be tested is only 70 MPa.
- the processing time is 0.075 seconds and the plasma power is increased from the untreated (0 W, without plasma power) to 10000 W, the interlayer bonding force is increased from 70 MPa to 89 MPa. That is, the interlayer bonding force is increased to 127%.
- FIG. 7A shows a SEM image of the object to be tested without the plasma treatment.
- FIG. 7B shows a SEM image of the object to be tested with the plasma treatment.
- the SEM image of the object to be tested without the plasma surface treatment illustrates a void H between the resin oiling agent 80 and the carbon fiber 70 B because the surface of the carbon fiber 70 B is smooth and doesn't have functional groups.
- the void H causes a decrease in the strength of the object to be tested. That is to say, the bonding force between the carbon fiber and the resin oiling agent is insufficient for protecting the fiber.
- the SEM image of the object to be tested with the plasma surface treatment illustrates that there is no void between the resin oiling agent 80 and the carbon fiber 70 B because the surface of the carbon fiber 70 B is rough and has functional groups (such as —OH, —N, etc.).
- the resin oiling agent 80 and the carbon fiber 70 B are bonded tightly, so that the strength of the object to be tested is enhanced. That is, the adhesion between the carbon fiber and the resin oiling agent is enhanced, so that the purpose of protecting the fiber can be achieved.
- the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle is heated to form the carbon fiber in a relatively more active and reliable means, and the surface of the carbon fiber has the resin oiling agent thereon.
- the surface of the carbon fiber can be roughened by the plasma surface treatment module, and the surface of the carbon fiber is provided with the functional groups.
- the sizing quality of the carbon fiber can be greatly improved.
- the microwave focusing heating way of the high-temperature carbonization module the same apparatus can be applied to a carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle whose surface has not been processed with a pre-oxidation treatment or a carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle whose surface has been processed with a pre-oxidation treatment in advance.
- the apparatus can be used to produce general carbon fibers or high modulus carbon fibers (graphite fibers) so as reduce the cost of the carbon fiber production equipment and the working time effectively.
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Abstract
A carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus includes a feeding module, a high-temperature carbonization module, a plasma surface treatment module, a sizing module, and a receiving module. A carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle released from the feeding module is sequentially processed at a predetermined speed to perform high-temperature carbonization, plasma surface treatment, sizing, and so on. The carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle is heated to form a carbon fiber, and then the surface of the carbon fiber is coated with a resin oiling agent. Particularly, through the plasma surface treatment module, the surface of the carbon fiber is roughened and provided with functional groups, which is beneficial to enhance the interface bonding of the resin oiling agent and the carbon fiber. The structure of the carbon fiber is more stable and reliable. The cost of the carbon fiber production equipment and the working time can be reduced effectively.
Description
- The present invention relates to a carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus, and more particularly to a carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus which can greatly improve the sizing quality of a carbon fiber and effectively reduce the cost of the carbon fiber production equipment and the working time.
- Carbon fibers are classified into carbon fibers or graphite fibers according to their carbon contents, which have excellent mechanical properties and electrical properties and can be widely used in various applications. A conventional carbon fiber is achieved by bundling precursor fibers, such as polyacrylonitrile fibers, to form a carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle, and then the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle is calcined (high-temperature carbonization) to form the carbon fiber.
- There are various precursor fibers of carbon fibers on the market, such as rayon, poly vinyl alcohol, vinylidene chloride, polyacrylonitrile (PAN), pitch, and the like. In general, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) is used as the raw material of carbon fibers. The manufacturing steps are generally as follows: PAN raw material (precursor fiber)->pre-oxidation->high-temperature carbonization->surface treatment->sizing.
- In the carbonization step, the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundles are heated to form carbon fibers or graphite fibers by different heating apparatuses according to the application of the carbon fibers. In principle, the carbon content of the fibers of graphite fibers is 90% or more, forming a two-dimensional carbocyclic planar net structure and a graphite layer structure having parallel layers. The results show that the crystalline region of a high-strength carbon fiber is composed of 5-6 graphite layers, and the crystalline region of a high-strength and high-modulus carbon fiber is composed of 10-20 graphite layers. Theoretically and practically, it is pointed out that the larger the crystalline thickness of the graphite layer is, the higher the tensile modulus of the carbon fiber is.
- On the other hand, untreated carbon fibers have insufficient adhesion to a matrix resin and have poor transverse properties such as separation strength and shear strength. Therefore, they are less directly utilized. They are usually combined with the matrix resin to form carbon fiber composite materials in accordance with their applications. The surface of the carbon fiber after carbonization is coated with a layer of oiling agent (in the sizing step) before it leaves the factory. The layer of oiling agent is used to protect the fiber from breakage due to friction in the subsequent step to affect the overall quality of the carbon fiber.
- Furthermore, in the high-temperature carbonization step, the surface of the carbon fiber is excessively finely formed due to high-temperature sintering, and there are few functional groups on the surface. As a result, the fiber and the resin oiling agent cannot be bonded fully. It is known that a heat treatment or electrolysis technique can be applied to the surface treatment of the fiber after the high-temperature carbonization step in order to improve the bonding of the fiber and the resin oiling agent.
- However, when the surface treatment of the carbon fiber is performed by means of heat treatment, a relatively long period of time is required. Besides, the heat treatment is always performed with a large number of fibers at a time, so it is difficult to control the processing quality. When the surface treatment of the carbon fiber is performed by means of electrolysis, at least one drying process is required before the surface of the fiber is coated with the oiling agent. Moreover, a change of the electrolyte may affect the processing quality. Even the surface of the fiber may have depositions.
- Accordingly, the inventor of the present invention has devoted himself based on his many years of practical experiences to solve these problems.
- In view of the problems of the prior art, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus which can greatly improve the sizing quality of a carbon fiber and effectively reduce the cost of the carbon fiber production equipment and the working time.
- In order to achieve the forgoing object, the carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention comprises a feeding module, a receiving module, a high-temperature carbonization module, a plasma surface treatment module, and a sizing module. The receiving module is disposed in the vicinity of the feeding module. The feeding module and the receiving module constitute a carbon fiber drag route. The high-temperature carbonization module is disposed at the carbon fiber drag route and located between the feeding module and the receiving module for heating the carbon fiber drag route. The plasma surface treatment module is disposed at the carbon fiber drag route and located between the high-temperature carbonization module and the receiving module for supplying a plasma gas flow to the carbon fiber drag route. The sizing module is disposed at the carbon fiber drag route and located between the plasma surface treatment module and the receiving module for coating a resin oiling agent on the surface of a carbon fiber.
- Thereby, the carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention can be operated in the integrated operation of the feeding module, the high-temperature carbonization module, the plasma surface treatment module, the sizing module, and the receiving module. A carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle released from the feeding module is sequentially processed at a predetermined speed to perform the steps of high-temperature carbonization, plasma surface treatment, sizing, and so on, in a relatively more active and reliable manner. The carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle is heated to form the carbon fiber, and then the surface of the carbon fiber is formed with the resin oiling agent. Particularly, through the plasma surface treatment module, the surface of the carbon fiber is roughened and provided with functional groups, which is beneficial to enhance the interface bonding of the resin oiling agent and the carbon fiber in the subsequent sizing procedure so as to improve the sizing quality of the carbon fiber greatly. The structure of the carbon fiber is more stable and reliable. The plasma surface treatment belongs to a dry-type and fast surface treatment technique to effectively reduce the cost of the carbon fiber production equipment and the working time.
- Preferably, the high-temperature carbonization module has a chamber for the carbon fiber drag route or the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle to pass therethrough. The chamber is formed with at least one microwave field concentration area and supplies an inert gas and a high-frequency microwave. Under the protection of the inert gas atmosphere, the electric field of the high-frequency microwave produces a sensing current to heat up and produce a high temperature quickly with the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle passing through the microwave field concentration area.
- Preferably, the high-temperature carbonization module has a chamber for the carbon fiber drag route or the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle to pass therethrough. The chamber is formed with at least one microwave field concentration area and provided with a gas supply module to supply an inert gas and a microwave generating module to supply a high-frequency microwave. Under the protection of the inert gas atmosphere, the electric field of the high-frequency microwave produces a sensing current to heat up and produce a high temperature quickly with the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle passing through the microwave field concentration area. The plasma surface treatment module is provided with at least one plasma generator.
- Preferably, the plasma surface treatment module is provided with at least one plasma generator located at upper and lower positions of the carbon fiber drag route, respectively.
- Preferably, the chamber is an elliptic chamber.
- Preferably, the chamber is provided with at least one pair of microwave-sensitive materials.
- Alternatively, the chamber is a flat plate chamber.
- Alternatively, the chamber is a flat plate chamber, and the chamber is provided with at least one pair of microwave-sensitive materials.
- Preferably, the plasma generator is able to generate the plasma gas flow having a power in the range of 100-10000 Watts.
- Alternatively, the plasma generator is able to generate an atmospheric plasma gas flow having a power in a range of 100-10000 Watts.
- Alternatively, the plasma generator is able to generate a low-pressure plasma gas flow having a power in the range of 100-10000 Watts.
- Alternatively, the plasma generator is able to generate a microwave plasma gas flow having a power in the range of 100-10000 Watts.
- Alternatively, the plasma generator is able to generate a glow plasma gas flow having a power in the range of 100-10000 Watts.
- Preferably, the sizing module is provided with at least one reservoir.
- Preferably, the carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus further comprises a drying module. The drying module is disposed at the carbon fiber drag route between the sizing module and the receiving module for the resin oiling agent to be adhered to the surface of the carbon fiber firmly.
- Through the carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle is heated to form the carbon fiber in a relatively more active and reliable means, and the surface of the carbon fiber has the resin oiling agent thereon. In particular, the surface of the carbon fiber can be roughened by the plasma surface treatment module, and the surface of the carbon fiber is provided with the functional groups. The sizing quality of the carbon fiber can be greatly improved. By the microwave focusing heating way of the high-temperature carbonization module, the same apparatus can be applied to a carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle whose surface has not been processed with a pre-oxidation treatment or a carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle whose surface has been processed with a pre-oxidation treatment in advance. By simply adjusting the microwave power, the apparatus can be used to produce general carbon fibers or high modulus carbon fibers (graphite fibers) so as reduce the cost of the carbon fiber production equipment and the working time effectively.
-
FIG. 1 is a structural schematic view of a carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 2 is a structural schematic view of a high-temperature carbonization module in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 3 is a sectional schematic view of a carbon fiber after finishing a plasma surface treatment through a plasma surface treatment module of the present invention; -
FIG. 4 is a sectional schematic view of a carbon fiber after finishing a sizing process through a sizing module of the present invention; -
FIG. 5 is a structural schematic view of a carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 6 is a structural schematic view of a high-temperature carbonization module in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 7a illustrates a SEM image of an object to be tested without plasma treatment; and -
FIG. 7b illustrates a SEM image of an object to be tested with the plasma treatment. - Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
- The present invention discloses a carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus which can greatly improve the sizing quality of carbon fibers and effectively reduce the cost of the carbon fiber production equipment and the working time. As shown in
FIG. 1 , the carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention comprises afeeding module 10, a receivingmodule 20, a high-temperature carbonization module 30, a plasmasurface treatment module 40, and asizing module 50. - Referring to
FIG. 1 toFIG. 4 , thefeeding module 10 is used to supply a carbon fiberprecursor fiber bundle 70A to be processed into acarbon fiber 70B. In practice, the carbon fiberprecursor fiber bundle 70A may be formed of rayon, poly vinyl alcohol, vinylidene chloride, polyacrylonitrile (PAN), pitch, and the like. The surface of the carbon fiberprecursor fiber bundle 70A may have not been processed with a pre-oxidation treatment or have been processed with a pre-oxidation treatment in advance. - The receiving
module 20 is disposed in the vicinity of thefeeding module 10, and corresponds to thefeeding module 10 to constitute a carbon fiber drag route. The receivingmodule 20 includes ayarn winding assembly 21 to receive thecarbon fiber 70B. Theyarn winding assembly 21 performs a drag action on thecarbon fiber 70B to be received. - The high-
temperature carbonization module 30 is disposed at the carbon fiber drag route between the feedingmodule 10 and the receivingmodule 20 for heating the carbon fiberprecursor fiber bundle 70A, enabling the carbon fiberprecursor fiber bundle 70A to become thecarbon fiber 70B having a predetermined carbon content. In practice, as shown inFIG. 2 , the high-temperature carbonization module 30 has achamber 31 for the carbon fiberprecursor fiber bundle 70A to pass therethrough. Thechamber 31 is formed with at least one microwavefield concentration area 311 therein, and is provided with agas supply module 32 to supply an inert gas and amicrowave generating module 33 to supply a high-frequency microwave. Under the protection of the inert gas atmosphere, the electric field of the high-frequency microwave produces a sensing current to heat up and produce a high temperature quickly with the carbon fiberprecursor fiber bundle 70A passing through the microwavefield concentration area 311, enabling the carbon fiberprecursor fiber bundle 70A to form thecarbon fiber 70B having a predetermined carbon content. - The plasma
surface treatment module 40 is disposed at the carbon fiber drag route between the high-temperature carbonization module 30 and the receivingmodule 20 to provide a plasma gas flow with a predetermined power to act on thecarbon fiber 70B, such that the surface of thecarbon fiber 70B is formed with a plasma-modified configuration 71 (shown inFIG. 3 ) which is rougher or has more functional groups relative to the carbon fiberprecursor fiber bundle 70A. - The sizing
module 50 is disposed at the carbon fiber drag route between the plasmasurface treatment module 40 and the receivingmodule 20 for the plasma-modifiedconfiguration 71 on the surface of thecarbon fiber 70B to be coated with a resin oiling agent 80 (as shown inFIG. 4 ). The sizingmodule 50 is provided with at least onereservoir 51 for storing theresin oiling agent 80. Theresin oiling agent 80 may be a thermosetting resin oiling agent or a thermoplastic resin oiling agent. - Thereby, the carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention can be operated in the integrated operation of the
feeding module 10, the high-temperature carbonization module 30, the plasmasurface treatment module 40, the sizingmodule 50, and the receivingmodule 20. The carbon fiberprecursor fiber bundle 70A released from thefeeding module 10 is sequentially processed at a predetermined speed to perform the steps of high-temperature carbonization, plasma surface treatment, sizing, and so on, in a relatively more active and reliable manner. The carbon fiberprecursor fiber bundle 70A is heated to form thecarbon fiber 70B, and then the surface of thecarbon fiber 70B is formed with theresin oiling agent 80. - The plasma
surface treatment module 40 is provided with at least oneplasma generator 41 for generating a plasma gas flow. In this embodiment, the plasmasurface treatment module 40 is provided with at least oneplasma generator 41 disposed at the upper and lower positions of the carbon fiber drag route respectively for generating a plasma gas flow to act on the surface of thecarbon fiber 70B. - Since the plasma gas flow contains particles having energy, the impurities that originally adhere to the surface of the
carbon fiber 70B can be broken to form small molecules by the impact of the plasma gas flow through the physical reaction (collision) of the plasma gas flow, and then the small molecules are blown away from the surface of thecarbon fiber 70B by the air flow, so that the surface of thecarbon fiber 70B is clean. In the subsequent procedure of the sizingmodule 50, theresin oiling agent 80 can be completely in contact with thecarbon fiber 70B to increase the bonding effect. In addition, the impact of the plasma gas flow will also form the plasma-modifiedconfiguration 71 on the surface of thecarbon fiber 70B. The plasma-modifiedconfiguration 71 is rougher relative to the carbon fiberprecursor fiber bundle 70A, and is further formed with pores. The surface of thecarbon fiber 70B is roughened or formed with the pores, which is beneficial to increase the contact area between theresin oiling agent 80 and thecarbon fiber 70B in the subsequent procedure of the sizingmodule 50. Theresin oiling agent 80 penetrates into the pores, and theresin oiling agent 80 is anchored between the pores to form an anchor effect to enhance the bonding effect of theresin oiling agent 80 and thecarbon fiber 70B. - The plasma gas flow also makes the surface of the
carbon fiber 70B generate a chemical reaction at the same time, so that at least one functional group (such as —OH, —N, etc.) is added to the surface of thecarbon fiber 70B. In the procedure of the sizingmodule 50, the surface tension of the surface of thecarbon fiber 70B is increased due to the presence of the functional group, which is beneficial to improve the wetting effect for the resin oiling agent to be coated on thecarbon fiber 70B. That is, the contact angle of theresin oiling agent 80 to thecarbon fiber 70B becomes small, so that theresin oiling agent 80 can be quickly or instantaneously coated on thecarbon fiber 70B, and the speed of the procedure of the sizingmodule 50 is increased, thereby accelerating the overall production speed of thecarbon fiber 70B. The presence of the functional group such as the OH group reacts with theresin oiling agent 80, such as epoxy resin (Epoxy), to generate hydrogen bonding, thereby increasing the bonding effect. - In practice, the
plasma generator 41 is able to generate a plasma gas flow having a power in the range of 100-10000 Watts, or an atmospheric plasma gas flow having a power in a range of 100-10000 Watts, or a low-pressure plasma gas flow having a power in the range of 100-10000 Watts, or a microwave plasma gas flow having a power in the range of 100-10000 Watts, or a glow plasma gas flow having a power in the range of 100-10000 Watts. - The plasma surface treatment module of the present invention provides a dry-type surface treatment for the carbon fiber. This not only prevents the carbon fiber from generating additional impurities or sediment but also reduces the working time and working procedure of drying after the completion of the plasma surface treatment.
- As shown in
FIG. 5 , the carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention may further comprise adrying module 60. The dryingmodule 60 is disposed at the carbon fiber drag route between the sizingmodule 50 and the receivingmodule 20 for theresin oiling agent 80 to be firmly adhered to the surface of thecarbon fiber 70B. In practice, the dryingmodule 60 is provided with at least oneblast furnace 61 to generate hot blast. - The foregoing inert gas may be nitrogen, argon, helium, or a combination thereof. The frequency of the high-frequency microwave may be in the range of 300-30,000 MHz, and its microwave power density may be in the range of 1-1000 kW/m3.
- In the embodiment as shown in
FIG. 2 , thechamber 31 may be an elliptic chamber, or thechamber 31 may be a flat plate chamber (as shown inFIG. 6 ). As shown inFIG. 6 , whatever thechamber 31 is, thechamber 31 is provided with a pair of microwave-sensitive materials 34 therein, thereby enhancing the focusing effect on the microwave field in order to further accelerate the high-temperature carbonization process. In practice, the microwave-sensitive materials 34 may be one of graphite, carbide, magnetic compound, nitride, and ionic compound or a combination thereof. - Due to the resonant effect of microwave heating, the carbonization of the carbon fiber is enhanced rapidly and more crystalline carbons are formed and stacked, which leads to the formation of larger graphite crystalline molecules, namely, larger graphite crystalline thickness, while deriving a higher microwave induction heating effect is derived. Such a cycle generates an autocatalytic reaction, enabling the carbon fiber to be rapidly heated to the graphitization temperature (1500-3000° C.), and carbon atoms are reconstructed and rearranged more rapidly to form a graphite layer.
- In other words, the same apparatus can be applied to a carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle whose surface has not been processed with a pre-oxidation treatment or a carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle whose surface has been processed with a pre-oxidation treatment in advance. It is only necessary to adjust the microwave power for the production, the apparatus can be used to produce general carbon fibers (1000-1500° C.) or high modulus carbon fibers (graphite fibers).
- In a preferred embodiment, an article to be tested that the
resin oiling agent 80 after thedrying module 60 is firmly adhered to the surface of thecarbon fiber 70B, and the treatment conditions of the plasmasurface treatment module 40 are shown in Table 1 below: -
TABLE 1 the conditions of the plasma surface treatment plasma gas consumption N2 200 L/min CDA 0.4 L/min plasma gas amount 200.4 L/min plasma power 0~1000 W plasma surface treatment time 0.025~0.100 sec. carbon fiber yarn width 7 mm yarn per unit time receiving 0.28 J/s capacity distance 1 mm - The ILSS strength (interlayer bonding force) was measured for an object to be tested in an environment of a temperature of 23° C. and a humidity of 50% RH by using an INSTRON measuring machine according to ASTM 2344, and the results are shown in Table 2 below:
-
TABLE 2 the relationship between the plasma surface treatment power (W), the processing time (sec.) and the interlayer bonding force (MPa) (epoxy resin used as the resin oiling agent) of PAN carbon fiber 12K plasma power (W) of surface interlayer bonding force (ILSS)(MPa) treatment 0.025 sec. 0.075 sec. 0.100 sec. 0(untreated) 70 70 70 250 71 73 75 500 73 76 81 750 75 81 85 900 79 86 88 1000 83 89 91 - As can be seen from Table 2, the carbon fiber without the plasma surface treatment, the interlayer bonding force of the object to be tested is only 70 MPa. With an increase of the plasma power, for example, the processing time is 0.075 seconds and the plasma power is increased from the untreated (0 W, without plasma power) to 10000 W, the interlayer bonding force is increased from 70 MPa to 89 MPa. That is, the interlayer bonding force is increased to 127%.
- In the procedure of the sizing
module 50, the epoxy resin is used as theresin oiling agent 80, and the carbon fiber is used as thecarbon fiber 70B.FIG. 7A shows a SEM image of the object to be tested without the plasma treatment.FIG. 7B shows a SEM image of the object to be tested with the plasma treatment. As shown inFIG. 7A , the SEM image of the object to be tested without the plasma surface treatment illustrates a void H between theresin oiling agent 80 and thecarbon fiber 70B because the surface of thecarbon fiber 70B is smooth and doesn't have functional groups. The void H causes a decrease in the strength of the object to be tested. That is to say, the bonding force between the carbon fiber and the resin oiling agent is insufficient for protecting the fiber. - As shown in
FIG. 7B , the SEM image of the object to be tested with the plasma surface treatment illustrates that there is no void between theresin oiling agent 80 and thecarbon fiber 70B because the surface of thecarbon fiber 70B is rough and has functional groups (such as —OH, —N, etc.). Theresin oiling agent 80 and thecarbon fiber 70B are bonded tightly, so that the strength of the object to be tested is enhanced. That is, the adhesion between the carbon fiber and the resin oiling agent is enhanced, so that the purpose of protecting the fiber can be achieved. - Specifically, through the carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, the carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle is heated to form the carbon fiber in a relatively more active and reliable means, and the surface of the carbon fiber has the resin oiling agent thereon. In particular, the surface of the carbon fiber can be roughened by the plasma surface treatment module, and the surface of the carbon fiber is provided with the functional groups. The sizing quality of the carbon fiber can be greatly improved. By the microwave focusing heating way of the high-temperature carbonization module, the same apparatus can be applied to a carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle whose surface has not been processed with a pre-oxidation treatment or a carbon fiber precursor fiber bundle whose surface has been processed with a pre-oxidation treatment in advance. By simply adjusting the microwave power, the apparatus can be used to produce general carbon fibers or high modulus carbon fibers (graphite fibers) so as reduce the cost of the carbon fiber production equipment and the working time effectively.
- Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.
Claims (15)
1. A carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus, comprising:
a feeding module and a receiving module, the receiving module being disposed in the vicinity of the feeding module, the feeding module and the receiving module constituting a carbon fiber drag route;
a high-temperature carbonization module, disposed at the carbon fiber drag route and located between the feeding module and the receiving module for heating the carbon fiber drag route;
a plasma surface treatment module, disposed at the carbon fiber drag route and located between the high-temperature carbonization module and the receiving module for supplying a plasma gas flow to the carbon fiber drag route; and
a sizing module, disposed at the carbon fiber drag route and located between the plasma surface treatment module and the receiving module.
2. The carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the high-temperature carbonization module has a chamber, a gas supply module, and a microwave generating module, the carbon fiber drag route passes through the chamber, the gas supply module is used to supply an inert gas, and the microwave generating module is used to supply a high-frequency microwave.
3. The carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the plasma surface treatment module is provided with at least one plasma generator.
4. The carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the plasma surface treatment module is provided with at least one plasma generator located at upper and lower positions of the carbon fiber drag route, respectively.
5. The carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the chamber is an elliptic chamber.
6. The carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the chamber is provided with at least one pair of microwave-sensitive materials.
7. The carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the chamber is a flat plate chamber.
8. The carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the chamber is provided with at least one pair of microwave-sensitive materials.
9. The carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the plasma generator is able to generate the plasma gas flow having a power in the range of 100-10000 Watts.
10. The carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the plasma generator is able to generate an atmospheric plasma gas flow having a power in a range of 100-10000 Watts.
11. The carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the plasma generator is able to generate a low-pressure plasma gas flow having a power in the range of 100-10000 Watts.
12. The carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the plasma generator is able to generate a microwave plasma gas flow having a power in the range of 100-10000 Watts.
13. The carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the plasma generator is able to generate a glow plasma gas flow having a power in the range of 100-10000 Watts.
14. The carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sizing module is provided with at least one reservoir.
15. The carbon fiber manufacturing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a drying module, the drying module being disposed at the carbon fiber drag route between the sizing module and the receiving module.
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Cited By (2)
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CN110878434A (en) * | 2018-09-06 | 2020-03-13 | 永虹先进材料股份有限公司 | High-temperature carbonization furnace |
US10882795B2 (en) * | 2017-06-13 | 2021-01-05 | Safran Ceramics | Process for manufacturing a composite part |
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2016
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Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US10882795B2 (en) * | 2017-06-13 | 2021-01-05 | Safran Ceramics | Process for manufacturing a composite part |
CN110878434A (en) * | 2018-09-06 | 2020-03-13 | 永虹先进材料股份有限公司 | High-temperature carbonization furnace |
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