Process for producing pitch based activated carbon fibers and carbon fibers

摘要

A process for providing activated carbon fibers consisting of optically anisotropic components and optically isotropic components by spinning a pitch into fibers, and infusibilizing the resulting fibers, followed by an activation treatment. The pitch for spinning is prepared by melt mixing together (A) 100 parts by weight of an optically isotropic pitch having a softening point of 230 DEG -300 DEG C. obtained by heat treatment of a pitch while blowing an oxygen containing gas into the pitch, and (B) 10-50 parts by weight of an optically isotropic pitch having a softening point of 200 DEG -270 DEG C. obtained by polymerization of naphthalene in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst. The optically isotropic pitch (B) is further characterized as having the property of being converted into an optically anisotropic pitch by the stress occurring at the time of spinning. The carbon fibers produced by spinning the spinning pitch into fibers have a double layer structure, the surface layer exhibiting optical isotropy and the center portion exhibiting optical anisotropy. The spun fibers are infusibilized, followed by carbonization and/or graphitization.