ASSISTED DEVELOPMENT OF MESOPHASE PITCH WITH DISPERSED GRAPHENE AND ITS RESULTING CARBON FIBERS

The efficacy of dispersed reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as a nucleation site for the growth of mesophase in an isotropic pitch was investigated and quantified in this study. Concentrations of rGO were systematically tested in an isotropic petroleum and coal-tar pitch during thermal treatments and com...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Owen, Aaron
Format: Others
Published: UKnowledge 2018
Subjects:
Online Access:https://uknowledge.uky.edu/me_etds/126
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1134&context=me_etds
Description
Summary:The efficacy of dispersed reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as a nucleation site for the growth of mesophase in an isotropic pitch was investigated and quantified in this study. Concentrations of rGO were systematically tested in an isotropic petroleum and coal-tar pitch during thermal treatments and compared to pitch without rGO. The mesophase content of each thermally treated pitch was quantified by polarized light point counting. Further characterization of softening temperature and insolubles were quantified. Additionally, the pitches with and without rGO were melt spun, graphitized, and tensile tested to determine the effects of rGO on graphitized fiber mechanical properties and fiber morphology.