SYNTHESIS VIA ELECTROSPINNING OF ELECTROSPUN POLYACRYLONITRILE FIBERS – PRELIMINARY RESULTS

Radu Dorin Andrei*, Adriana Marinoiu, Felicia Bucura, Anca Zaharioiu, Violeta Niculescu, Claudia Sisu, Elena Carcadea

National Research and Development Institute for Cryogenics and Isotopic Technologies - ICSI Rm. Valcea, Uzinei Street no. 4, P.O. Box Râureni 7, 240050, Râmnicu Vâlcea, Romania

ABSTRACT

Electrospinning is a simple, versatile, and cost-effective technology which generates ultrasound fibers with high surface area to volume ratio, porosity and tunable porosity. Solution and processing parameters such as viscosity, molecular weight, concentration of the polymer, applied voltage, distance from tip to collector, conductivity, significantly affect the fiber morphology. An optimization of these parameters is required to obtain materials with desired properties for specific applications. In this study we synthesized electrospun fibers with different concentrations of PAN, our purpose being the obtaining of carbon fibers, needed for producing the gas diffusion layers for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell. The electrospun fibers obtained were subjected to carbonization at two different temperatures, 1200°C and 1400°C, in order to establish the temperature influence on removing all non-carbonaceous matter and to obtain a sample with higher carbon concentration and pure carbonaceous material.

Keywords: Electrospinning, polyacrylonitrile, electrospun fibers