One-step firing of carbon fiber and ceramic precursors for high performance electro-thermal composite: Influence of graphene coating

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Carbon fiber/ceramic composite demonstrates excellent electro-thermal performance that can be applied in various heating applications. However high temperature ceramization inevitably causes oxidation of carbon fiber and negatively influences its electro-thermal property. Herein, a graphene coated carbon fiber/ceramic composite via one-step firing with rapid and stable temperature responsiveness is proposed. Crystal structure, morphological feature, electrical property and electrothermal behavior of the modified carbon fibers and carbon fiber/ceramic composite were investigated. The results showed effectively protective effect of coating and sintering of carbon fiber under N2 environment, resulting in greatly improved electro-thermal and mechanical properties. The composite based on 24 k carbon fibers and 1 cm thickness ceramic sintering reached about 65 °C at 6 V in only 10 min and the cooling process lasted 30 min from 82 °C to room temperature, presenting highly responsive heating and good temperature storage performance. The tensile strength and elongation at break of the single graphene coated carbon fiber increased 12% and 200%. The great electro-thermal features and strong mechanical properties of the modified carbon fibers make the carbon fiber/ceramic composite a good candidate for in-door temperature control and out-door deicing applications.