Enhanced thermo-mechanical and electrical properties of carbon-carbon composites using human hair derived carbon powder as reinforcing filler

In the present study, human hair derived carbon powder (HHC) synthesized in home laboratory is characterized via SEM, AFM, FT-IR, XRD, Raman, XPS, and TGA. Then HHC is used as a low cost reinforcing filler at 0–50 wt% with phenolic resin for fabricating carbon fabric reinforced polymer composites (CPCs) and its carbon-carbon composites (CCs). CPCs are fabricated via simple hand-lay techniques for resin-HHC slurry impregnation followed by hot pressing while CCs are obtained by carbonization of CPCs at 600 and 900 °C. Effects of HHC loading on CPCs and CCs are evaluated through static and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, density, electrical conductivity, morphology, and microstructure studies. Tensile and flexural properties (strength and modulus) of CPCs and CCs improve significantly (∼25 to 73%) at 30 wt% HHC loading. Storage modulus (E′) and loss modulus (E″) of CPCs increase up to 132 and 104%, respectively with addition of HHC up to 40 wt%. E′ and E″ of unfilled CCs increase with carbonization temperature, however they decrease with increasing HHC content. In addition to high specific properties, CCs also exhibit substantial increment (∼233%) in electrical conductivity and thermal stability, which make HHC one of the most suitable material for high temperature-structural applications.