Polyacrylonitrile-Based Carbonized Fibers and Metal-Carbonized Fiber Nanocomposites for Thermal Transport

This work examines the fabrication and thermal analysis of metal–carbon composite fibers prepared via an electrospinning process. The metal–carbon composite fibers of silver, copper, gold, and nickel were prepared by electrospinning of a composite solution of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and metal precursor followed by heat treatment in air, nitrogen to 1000 °C and in 6% H₂, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and Scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) were applied to characterize the metal–carbon fibers. TEM analysis showed a relatively uniform, contact-free distribution of the nanoparticles on the surface of the carbon fibers with size range of 3 nm–10 nm. Thermal analysis data showed an enhancement in the thermal conductivity of the nanomaterials when compared with the model PAN-based carbonized fibers. This was attributed to the incorporation of metal nanoparticles in the fiber matrix and on the surface.