Synthesis of Carbon Nanofibers Based on Resol Type Phenol Resin and Fe(III) Catalysts

The carbon nanofibers (CNFs) used in this study were synthesized with an iron catalyst and ethylene as a carbon source. A concentration of 30 wt % iron(III) acetylacetonate was dissolved in resol type phenol resin and polyurethane foam was put into the solution. The sample was calendered after being cured at $80^{\circ}C$ in air for 24 h. Stabilization and carbonization of the resol type phenol resin and reduction of the $Fe^{3+}$ were completed in a high-temperature furnace by the following steps: 1) heating to $600^{\circ}C$ at a rate of $10^{\circ}C/min$ with a mixture of $H_2/N_2$ for 4 h to reduce the $Fe^{3+}$ to Fe; 2) heating to $1000^{\circ}C$ in $N_2$ at a rate $10^{\circ}C/min$ for 30 minutes for pyrolysis; 3) synthesizing CNFs in a mixture of 20.1% ethylene and $H_2/N_2$ at $700^{\circ}C$ for 2 h using a CVD process. Finally, the structural characterization of the CNFs was performed by scanning electron microscopy and a synthesis analysis was carried out using energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Specific surface area analysis of the CNFs was also performed by $N_2$-sorption.