Carbon fiber composition including graphene nano-powder and fabrication method for carbon fiber using the same

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a carbon fiber composition and a fabrication method for high-performance carbon fiber using the same. The method can fabricate high-performance carbon fiber (or graphite fiber) with lowering a graphitization temperature by using graphene carbon fiber composition including nano-sized graphene.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A graphene carbon fiber composition, comprising:
 a composition for fabricating carbon fiber; and graphene powder,   wherein the composition for fabricating carbon fiber includes one selected from the group consisting of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fiber, pitch-based carbon fiber, rayon-based carbon fiber and combinations thereof, and the graphene powder serves as a seed of graphite to be formed during carbon fiber fabricating processes.   
     
     
         2 . The graphene carbon fiber composition of  claim 1 , wherein the graphene powder is fabricated by decomposing crystalline graphite, and has a length of 20 nm or less. 
     
     
         3 . The graphene carbon fiber composition of  claim 2 , wherein the crystalline graphite is a graphite structure grown in a helix shape. 
     
     
         4 . The graphene carbon fiber composition of  claim 1 , wherein a content of the graphene powder is more than 0.1 wt % based on 100 wt % of the sum of the composition for fabricating carbon fiber and the graphene powder. 
     
     
         5 . The graphene carbon fiber composition of  claim 1 , further comprising a solvent, wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of alcohol, acetone, dimethylformamide (DMF), tetrahydrofuran (THF) and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . A method for fabricating high-performance carbon fiber, the method comprising steps of:
 a mixing step to fabricate a graphene suspension by mixing a composition for fabricating carbon fiber with graphene powder to form a graphene carbon fiber composition, and dispersing the graphene carbon fiber composition in a solvent, wherein the composition for fabricating carbon fiber includes one selected from the group consisting of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fiber, pitch-based carbon fiber, rayon-based carbon fiber and combinations thereof;   a fiberization step to fabricate fibers by controlling a viscosity of the graphene suspension;   a stabilization step to stabilize the fibers by heating at 200-400° C. under atmosphere; and   a heat treatment step of fabricating nano ribbon-shaped graphite by graphitizing the stabilized fibers at a temperature less than 2,500° C.,   wherein the graphene powder included in the graphene carbon fiber composition serves as a seed of graphite to be formed during high-performance carbon fiber fabricating processes.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the graphitization of the heat treatment step is performed at a temperature range of 1,500° C. and greater to less than 2,500° C.