Low thermal conductivity carbon fibers from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) are currently being explored as an alternative for traditional rayon-based carbon fibers with a thermal conductivity of 4 W/m K. Compared to multiple component electrospinning, this research demonstrated another feasible way to make low thermal conductivity carbon fibrous material by electrospinning PAN followed by carbonization and alkali activation. The effects of activation condition on microstructure, pore formation, and thermal conductivity of the resultant carbon nanofibrous material were investigated. The processing-structure-thermal conductivity relationship was revealed and mechanism of thermal conductivity reduction was discussed. The overall thermal conductivity of the prepared carbon nanofibrous material is a result of combined effects from factors of carbon structure and number of pores rather than volume of pores or specific surface area. The activated carbon nanofibrous materials showed thermal conductivity as low as 0.12 W/m K, which is a reduction of ~ 99% when compared to that of solid carbon film and a reduction of ~ 95% when compared to that of carbon nanofibrous material before activation.

中文翻译：

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静电纺丝和随后的化学活化作用产生的低导热碳材料

聚丙烯腈（PAN）的低热导率碳纤维目前正作为热导率为4 W / m K的传统人造丝基碳纤维的替代品。与多组分静电纺丝相比，该研究证明了另一种降低热导率的可行方法。碳纤维材料通过电纺PAN继之以碳化和碱活化而具有导热性。研究了活化条件对所得碳纳米纤维材料的微观结构，孔形成和热导率的影响。揭示了加工结构与导热系数的关系，并探讨了导热系数降低的机理。所制备的碳纳米纤维材料的总导热率是来自碳结构和孔的数量而不是孔的体积或比表面积的因素综合作用的结果。活性炭纳米纤维材料的热导率低至0.12 W / m K，与固态碳膜相比降低约99％，与活化前碳纳米纤维材料相比降低约95％ 。