Preparation of zirconium carbide nanofibers by electrospinning of pure zirconium-containing polymer

Zirconium carbide (ZrC) nanofibers were prepared from a pure zirconium-containing polymer by electrospinning without a spinning aid. The product possessed a lower carbon content, which helped in improving its oxidation resistance. The factors affecting the morphology of precursor fibers, such as the concentration of zirconium-containing polymer, spinning voltage, and spinning distance, were further investigated. The zirconium-containing polymer got partially oxidized during the electrospinning process, which led to the requirement of a high conversion temperature from zirconium oxide to ZrC. The pyrolysis of zirconium-containing polymers under vacuum resulted in the formation of ZrC due to the lower activation energy under vacuum compared with that under an argon atmosphere.