# Fabrication of Helical Carbon Fiber Skeleton Using Arc Glow Discharge Method

## TL;DR

Researchers created a helical carbon fiber skeleton using an arc glow discharge method and studied its structure and properties.

## Contribution

A novel fabrication method for helical carbon fiber skeletons and a proposed growth mechanism driven by C sp3.

## Key findings

- Helical carbon fibers were formed by spraying a hydrogen and ethanol mixture onto an iron wire substrate.
- Super-large carbon fibers with a diameter of about 13 μm were identified as the backbone of the skeleton.
- The carbon fiber skeleton exhibits isotropic mechanical properties.

## Abstract

An arc glow discharge device was used to prepare a helical carbon fiber skeleton with helical carbon fibers hooked to each other by spraying a hydrogen and ethanol mixture onto the iron wire substrate through the discharge area, using anhydrous ethanol as the carbon source. The samples were characterized by SEM, EDS, Raman and XPS. A growth mechanism of helical carbon fiber driven by C sp3 was proposed. The various growth modes of carbon fiber during the formation of carbon fiber skeleton were investigated. A ring appearance that indicated a change in the direction of carbon fiber growth was observed. And double helical carbon fiber was constructed from single helical carbon fiber in two ways. Super-large carbon fiber with a diameter of about 13 μm was observed, and it was speculated that this super-large carbon fiber is the backbone of the carbon fiber skeleton. The mechanical properties of the carbon fiber skeleton are isotropic.