US 12,258,683 B2
Process for preparing carbon fibers from low polydispersity polyacrylonitrile
Jeremy Moskowitz, Mauldin, SC (US); Thomas Taylor, Greenville, SC (US); Amy Tucker, Central, SC (US); Eric Gladden, Easley, SC (US); and Billy Harmon, Simpsonville, SC (US)
Assigned to CYTEC INDUSTRIES INC., Princeton, NJ (US)
Appl. No. 17/607,488
Filed by Cytec Industries Inc., Princeton, NJ (US)
PCT Filed May 1, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/030983
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 29, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/223614, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 5, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/842,138, filed on May 2, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0195627 A1, Jun. 23, 2022
Int. Cl. D01D 5/06 (2006.01); C01B 32/05 (2017.01); D01D 5/14 (2006.01); D01F 9/22 (2006.01)
CPC D01D 5/06 (2013.01) [C01B 32/05 (2017.08); D01D 5/14 (2013.01); D01F 9/225 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
 
1. A process for producing one or more carbon fiber precursor fibers, the process comprising: spinning a polymer solution comprising a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) polymer having a polydispersity (PDI) of less than or equal to 2 in a coagulation bath with a jet stretch of about 15 to about 60, thereby producing one or more coagulated carbon fiber precursor fibers, wherein spinning of the polymer solution is conducted by air qap spinning with a spinneret having more than 1000 capillaries, the concentration of PAN polymer in the polymer solution is at least 10 wt %, based on total weight of the solution, the coagulation bath comprises 20 wt % to 85 wt % of one or more solvents with the balance being non-solvent and the temperature of the coagulation bath is from 0° C. to 20° C., and the cross-sectional diameter of the coagulated carbon fiber precursor fiber exiting the coagulation bath is less than 55 μ.