(573c) Effects of Mesophase on Rheological Behavior of Pitch-Based Carbon Fiber Processing

Pitch-based carbon fibers have received much attention in recent decades because they have excellent material performance properties and a simple manufacturing process compared to that of other precursor materials. To develop cost-efficient and high-performance carbon fibers, it is essential to understand the rheological behavior of mesophase pitches in the processing regime. In the current work, we use shear and extensional rheology to investigate the rheological behavior of mesophase pitches to determine the optimum processing conditions for pitch-based carbon fibers.