Lignin, the second most abundant renewable biopolymer on earth, has the potential as a precursor for carbon fibre. Coupled with electro-spinning technology, a method for making nano-fibres, the strength of lignin-based fibres is improved and the fibre applications can be expanded and add significant value to lignin.This study demonstrated the feasibility of producing carbon nano-fibres from Softwood Kraft Lignin (SKL) by electro-spinning. Thus, Fractionated SKL (F4SKL) blended with polyethylene oxide (PEO) (with a ratio of 99:1) in dimethylformamide (DMF) solutions and electro-spun. In addition to the morphology and average diameter of the lignin fibres, which were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the mechanical properties of lignin fibre mats before and after heat treatment were measured. Also, the influence of heating rate and heating temperature of F4SKL electro-spinning fibres in thermo-stabilization process were also investigated. By the means of response surface method (RSM), the influence of the spinneret inner diameter and F4SKL solution concentrations on fibre diameter were studied. As a result, the electro-spinning and thermo-stabilization process optimized. The results showed that fibre diameter is sensitive to spinneret inner diameter at lower F4SKL concentration. Fibre diameter ranges from 470 to 670 nm were obtained at 25% F4SKL concentration. For a given solution concentration, fibre diameter decreases as the spinneret diameter decreases. The F4SKL fibre were not fused in thermo-stabilization process at 3 different heating rate (0.5?/min, 5?/min, 42�4?/min) and 3 different heating temperature (150?, 200?, 250?) for 60 minutes and then could be successfully fabricated carbon fibre by using 10?/min heating rate to 1000? heating temperature for 60 minutes in carbonization process. Tensile testing results of the lignin fibre mats indicated that heat treatment significantly increase the strength of the lignin fibre mats from 5.50 MPa to 45 MPa, and the modulus from 542 MPa to 21480 MPa.

Carbonization of electrospinning softwood kraft lignin nanofibre

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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