Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
104 words
A carbon fiber having a coating layer on the surface formed of an amorphous silicon carbide of a composition expressed by the formula Si x C y , in which x and y are each a positive number with the proviso that the ratio of y/x is in the range from 0.5 to 2.5, said coating layer of silicon carbide being produced by exposing the carbon fiber to low temperature plasma generated in an atmosphere of a reduced pressure containing a gas or vapor of an organosilicon compound having no oxygen atom or halogen atom directly bonded to the silicon atom in the molecule.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
104 words
A carbon fiber having a coating layer on the surface formed of an amorphous silicon carbide of a composition expressed by the formula Si x C y , in which x and y are each a positive number with the proviso that the ratio of y/x is in the range from 0.5 to 2.5, said coating layer of silicon carbide being produced by exposing the carbon fiber to low temperature plasma generated in an atmosphere of a reduced pressure containing a gas or vapor of an organosilicon compound having no oxygen atom or halogen atom directly bonded to the silicon atom in the molecule.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
66 words
The carbon fiber as claimed in claim 1 wherein the organosilicon compound is a silane or polysilane compound represented by the general formula R 2n+2 Si n , in which R is a hydrogen atom or a monovalent hydrocarbon group and n is a positive integer of 1 to 4, not all of the groups in a molecule denoted by the symbol R being hydrogen atoms.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
66 words
The carbon fiber as claimed in claim 1 wherein the organosilicon compound is a silhydrocarbylene compound represented by the general formula R 3 Si--R 1 --SiR 2 ) m R, in which R is a hydrogen atom or a monovalent hydrocarbon group, R 1 is a divalent hydrocarbylene group selected from the class consisting of methylene, ethylene and phenylene groups and m is 1 or 2.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
The carbon fiber as claimed in claim 1 wherein the organosilicon compound is selected from the class consisting of methylsilane, dimethylsilane, trimethylsilane, diethylsilane, propylsilane, vinyl methylsilane, phenylsilane, hexamethyl disilane, 1,1,2,2-tetramethyl disilane, 1,1,2,2,3,3-hexamethyl trisilane, bis(trimethylsilyl) methane, bis(dimethylsilyl) methane, bis(dimethylsilylmethyl) dimethyl silane, 1,2-di(dimethylsilyl) ethane, di(dimethylsilyl) benzene and 1-dimethylsilylmethyl-1,1,2,2-tetramethyl disilane.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
The carbon fiber as claimed in claim 1 wherein the gas or vapor of the organosilicon compound is admixed with a gas or vapor of a hydrocarbon compound selected from the class consisting of methane, ethane, propane, ethylene, acetylene, benzene and toluene.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The carbon fiber as claimed in claim 1 wherein the coating layer formed of the silicon carbide has a thickness in the range from 0.005 to 5 μm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The carbon fiber as claimed in claim 1 wherein the carbon fiber is exposed to the low temperature plasma at a temperature in the range from 50° to 500° C.