Investigations on modern carbon materials in the Boris Kidrič Institute,Vinča

Modern carbon materials which have been objects of research at the Boris Kidri? Institute, Vin?a involve high-performance carbon fibres from PAN precursor, carbon-fibre-reinforced phenolic and epoxy resins, carbon-carbon composites, pyrolytic carbons deposited at 1500–2450 K both pure and containing small amounts of B, Si, P or U, and carbon felt from viscose rayon precursor. Investigations relevant to carbon fibres comprise a study of processes during air oxidation of PAN fibres and an extensive research of low-temperature SO₂-treatment of PAN fibres, which has resulted in a model of the structure stabilization and shows that this stabilization can be successfully applied for the preparation of high-performance carbon fibres. Extensive investigations of codeposition of carbon and small amounts of B, Si, P and U suggest that B, Si and P enter the pyrocarbon lattice substitutionally and produce important changes in properties of the product. B, Si and U act as graphitizing catalysts, the effect being most pronounced for Si. The fabrication technology of the carbon fibres, carbon-fibre-reinforced-plastics and of pyrolytic carbon has been developed on a laboratory scale.