Growth of radially aligned porous carbon nanotube arrays on pyrolytic carbon coated carbon fibers

Radially aligned porous carbon nanotube arrays have been verified to effectively utilize the excellent performance of carbon nanotubes. Present work focuses on growing such unique structure on pyrolytic carbon coated carbon fibers by chemical vapor deposition. Results showed that high-quality and straight carbon nanotubes grow in radial morphology with diameter of about 150 nm and length ranging from 20 to 30 μm. The catalyst (cementite crystal phase) is located at the middle part of carbon nanotubes and the inner cavity is gradually collapsed. Weibull strength distribution indicated that after the growth of carbon nanotubes, both strength and strength stability of pyrolytic carbon coated carbon fibers are improved. Our work provides a great candidate for potential applications in the field of composite.