Production of vapour-grown carbon fibres: influence of the catalyst precursor and operating conditions

Vapour-grown carbon fibres (VGCF) were produced from a methane-hydrogen mix ture on a substrate seeded with an iron catalyst. The influence of the oper ating conditions and of the nature of the catalyst precursor on the yield a nd properties of the VGCF produced was investigated. The presence of hydroc arbon during the catalyst reduction stage and the heating rate imposed duri ng the fibre growth step were found to be the most important factors determ ining the yield of VGCF, while Fe-3(CO)(12) proved to be an excellent precu rsor, producing the longest fibres. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All righ ts reserved.