Synthesis of carbon nanofibers from carbon foam composites via oxyacetylene torch ablation

Carbon nanofibers were in-situ synthesized on porous carbon composites via a simple and economic technique of oxyacetylene torch ablation without catalyst assistance. The resultant nanofibers with good crystallinity in the (002) plane were polycrystalline graphite, which grew in the ablation center region. They were generally tens of nanometers in diameter, several microns in length, and grew at different orientations, exhibiting flower-like nanofiber clusters covered with amorphous carbon film. The formation mechanism may be governed by exfoliation of graphite layers, or attachment of graphitic carbon atoms to silicon monoxide for growth during the cooling process.