Carbon fibers based on pyrolytic lignin

Carbon fibers were prepared from pyrolytic lignin isolated from a commercial bio-oil by thermal spinning followed by carbonization. Compared to other technical lignins, a lower spinning temperature was required for the pyrolytic lignin. The pyrolytic lignins tended to develop fibers with hollow structures and were observed to fuse together during thermostabilization. However, a thermal treatment before fiber spinning was found to maintain the fiber integrity during thermostabilization and the following carbonization process. The mechanical properties and yield of the pyrolytic-lignin-based carbon fiber was found to be comparable to those based on other technical lignins. This work serves as a proof-of-concept study indicating pyrolytic lignin as a potential feedstock for low-cost carbon-fiber production. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012