Scaling up the Fabrication of Mechanically-Robust Carbon Nanofiber Foams

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Author
Curtin, William
Arias-Monje, Pedro J.
Dominguez, Charliean
Phillips, Jonathan
Luhrs, Claudia C.
Date
2016-02-15Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
This work aimed to identify and address the main challenges associated with fabricating
large samples of carbon foams composed of interwoven networks of carbon nanofibers. Solutions to
two difficulties related with the process of fabricating carbon foams, maximum foam size and catalyst
cost, were developed. First, a simple physical method was invented to scale-up the constrained
formation of fibrous nanostructures process (CoFFiN) to fabricate relatively large foams. Specifically,
a gas deflector system capable of maintaining conditions supportive of carbon nanofiber foam growth
throughout a relatively large mold was developed. ANSYS CFX models were used to simulate the
gas flow paths with and without deflectors; the data generated proved to be a very useful tool for the
deflector design. Second, a simple method for selectively leaching the Pd catalyst material trapped in
the foam during growth was successfully tested. Multiple techniques, including scanning electron
microscopy, surface area measurements, and mechanical testing, were employed to characterize
the foams generated in this study. All results confirmed that the larger foam samples preserve the
basic characteristics: their interwoven nanofiber microstructure forms a low-density tridimensional
solid with viscoelastic behavior. Fiber growth mechanisms are also discussed. Larger samples of
mechanically-robust carbon nanofiber foams will enable the use of these materials as strain sensors,
shock absorbers, selective absorbents for environmental remediation and electrodes for energy storage
devices, among other applications.
Description
The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/fib4010009
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.Collections
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