Precursors and manufacturing of carbon fibers

In this chapter, we will present the precursors and manufacturing of carbon fibers. Among the precursors used for the production of carbon fibers, polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based and pitch-based precursors are the most important. A significant amount of work has been done on relating the fiber structure to the properties and translating that relationship into production for either reducing cost or increasing fiber properties. However, challenges, including cost reduction, improvement in tensile and compressive strength, and alternative precursor development, still remain. We will also introduce many linear and cyclic polymers for carbon fibers, which is expected to open the door for the low-cost carbon fibers.