Study of the structure of fibrous carbon materials using X-ray diffractometry

New possibilities for diagnosing the structure of carbon materials by X-ray diffraction analysis are described. The studies were performed on an X-ray diffractometer D8 ADVANCE (filtered CuKα radiation) using carbon fibers (CF) differed in the mode of heat treatment (~2300 to ~3000°C). It is shown that when studying the structure of fibrous carbon materials characterized by a large depth of X-rays penetration, it is necessary to limit the thickness of the object under study to ~0.1 mm to provide the self-focusing condition for the entire sample volume engaged in formation of the diffracted beam. The material of high modulus carbon fibers can be heterogeneous and contain coherent scattering regions wherein the crystal structure parameters are somewhat different and experimentally observed diffraction peaks 002, 004, and 006 become asymmetric and are not described by the Gauss, Lorentz, or Voigt functions. Thus, the standard method used for determination of the average value of the interplanar spacing and the size of coherent scattering regions does provide reliable information on the real structure of the material. The profile of the asymmetric diffraction peak 002 was analyzed using the Origin program thus providing information about fine (heterogeneous) structure of the carbon fiber material which largely determines the physicomechanical properties. The data on 002 diffraction peak profiles of carbon fibers before and after removal of the CuKα₂ component are presented. The data on decomposition of the experimentally observed asymmetric 002 diffraction peaks into symmetric peaks described by the Gaussian, Lorentz, and Voigt functions are compared. The most preferable is the decomposition into the components described by the Gaussian or Voigt functions.

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