Effect of magnesium on the composition,microstructure and mechanical properties of carbon fibres

This work was undertaken in order to provide more detailed information on the chemical and mechanical behaviour of carbon fibres during the elaboration of graphite-magnesium composite materials. For this purpose, PAN-based T300, pitch-based P55 and P100 carbon fibres were isothermally heat treated, at temperatures ranging from 450 to 700 °C, under a saturated vapour pressure of magnesium. The composition, microstructure and tensile strength of the resulting samples were characterized by chemical and electron probe microanalysis, Raman spectrometry, X-ray diffraction and mechanical test of single filaments. From the results obtained, it has been concluded that highly graphitized fibres such as pitch-based P55 or P100 are not affected by long-time annealing in the presence of magnesium vapour, whereas impure and disorded fibres such as PAN-based T300 undergo some chemical and microstructural modifications decreasing their mechanical properties.