Carbon fibers and method for their production

• US 5,424,054 A
• Filed: 05/21/1993
• Issued: 06/13/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kiang, Ching-Hwa, Beyers, Robert B., Bethune, Donald S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hendrickson, Stuart L.
• Application Number:
  US08/065,821
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 423/447.3, 423/447.2, 423/445 B
• US Class Current: 423/447.2
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 9/127 by thermal decomposition of hydrocarbon gases or vapours or other carbon-containing compounds in the form of gas or vapour, e.g. carbon monoxide, alcohols
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 9/133 Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/891 Vapor phase deposition

Abstract

The present invention relates to hollow carbon fibers having a cylindrical wall comprising a single layer of carbon atoms and a process for the production of these fibers.

Claims

1. A process for producing hollow carbon fiber having a wall consisting essentially of a single layer of carbon atoms comprising the step of contacting carbon vapor and recovering the fiber product under conditions effective to produce the hollow fiber with cobalt vapor.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the carbon vapor and cobalt vapor are formed by electric-arc heating.

3. A hollow carbon fiber having a wall consisting essentially of a single layer of carbon atoms.