Preventing fiber-fiber adhesion of lignin-cellulose precursors and carbon fibers with spin finish application

• Adhesion of fibers within a spun tow, including carbon fibers and precursors, is undesirable as it may interrupt the manufacturing process and entail inferior fiber properties. In this work, softwood kraft lignin was used together with a dissolving pulp to spin carbon fiber precursors. Lignin-cellulose precursors have previously been found to be prone to fiber fusion, both post-spinning and during carbon fiber conversion. In this study, the efficiency of applying different kinds of spin finishes, with respect to rendering separable precursors and carbon fibers, has been investigated. It was found that applying a cationic surfactant, and to a similar extent a nonionic surfactant, resulted in well separated lignin-cellulose precursor tows. Furthermore, the fiber separability after carbon fiber conversion was evaluated, and notably, precursors treated with a silicone-based spin finish generated the most well-separated carbon fibers. The underlying mechanism of fiber fusion post-spinning and converted carbon fibers is discussed. 

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik -- Pappers-, massa- och fiberteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering -- Paper, Pulp and Fiber Technology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

carbon fiber

lignin

surfactant

Adhesion

Carbon fibers

Cationic surfactants

Cellulose

Cotton

Dyes

Nonionic surfactants

Silicones

Spinning (fibers)

Carbon fiber precursors

Cellulose precursors

Dissolving pulp

Fiber properties

Manufacturing process

Post spinnings

Softwood kraft lignins

Spin finishes

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)