Comparison of submicron-diameter carbon filaments and conventional carbon fibers as fillers in composite materials

This review provides a comparison of submicron-diameter carbon filaments and conventional carbon fibers as fillers in composite materials. Carbon filaments (0.1 mum diameter, catalytically grown) are superior to conventional carbon fibers (discontinuous) as a filler in providing polymer-matrix and cement-matrix composites for electromagnetic performance, but are inferior to the fibers as a filler for composites for electrical and mechanical performance. Concerning the electromechanical behavior, the filaments are inferior to the fibers for cement-matrix composites, but are superior to the fibers for polymer-matrix composites. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.