Structural and Morphological Changes of Carbon Fiber Surfaces, Produced via Sputtering by Noble Gas Ions

SEM, laser goniophotometry, and Raman spectroscopy are used to analyze a modification of the carbon PAN fiber shell of KUP-VM composite upon irradiation with 30 keV Ne+ and Ar+ ions at normal incidence and temperatures of RT to 600°C. It is found that the formation of corrugated submicron structures in the composite upon irradiation at elevated temperatures (≥125°C for neon and ≥250°C for argon) displays certain features at temperatures of 400–500°C. The corrugated faces’ angles of inclination and the fraction of the corrugated structure on the fiber surface at these temperatures are minimal. Together with regularities established earlier, the observed patterns allow us to relate ion-induced corrugation to anisotropic radiation- induced plastic processes of dimensional changes in carbon materials affected by ion sputtering of their surfaces.