Vapor-grown carbon-fiber reinforced carbon composites Original Research Article

Vapor-grown carbon-fiber (VGCF) reinforced carbon (VGCF-C) composites were studied for thermal and physical properties. Effect of fiber volume fraction and final density of composite on thermal conductivity was investigated. The fiber volume fractions range from 25 v/o to 36% and the final densities range from 1.15 g/cc to 1.59 g/cc. A composite with a fiber volume fraction of 36% and a density of 1.59 g/cc was found to exhibit a room-temperature thermal conductivity of 564 W/m-K after being heat treated at 2800 °C. This value of thermal conductivity was attributed to the highly graphitic nature of reinforcing VGCF mats. The room-temperature thermal conductivity of VGCF mat used as reinforcement was estimated to be 1760 W/m-K.