Thermal analysis of brominated pitch-based carbon fibers

Pitch - based carbon fibers (CFʹs) brominated for 2–144 hrs have been characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in 25–800 °C temperature range with the purpose of determination of bromine state and changes in the carbon fiber structure on molecular level in these materials upon the bromination process. Thermal stability of brominated CFʹs has been studied in both the flowing argon and flowing air atmospheres by dynamic TGA. The variations of kinetic parameters (activation energy Ea, rate constant k) of the debromination process in air atmosphere have been evaluated based on the TGA results.