Small‐angle scattering studies on carbonized cellulose fibers

Abstract A small‐angle scattering study has been carried out on heat‐treatment series of cellulose fibers. It was found that: the periodic density fluctuations along the fiber axis are enhanced in the first stages of pyrolysis and can persist after the decomposition of the cellulose structure; a memory of the microfibrillar structure of the starting material persists up to high temperatures of heat‐treatment; needle‐like pores with average diameters in the 10–30 Å range and lengths above 200 Å with a preferred orientation parallel to the fiber axis are formed at high temperatures.