LAUSR

Abstract The electrochemical behaviors of carbon fiber (CF) affect not only its mechanical properties in the aggressive environment but also the long-term durability of metals in contact. This study for the first time investigated the different electrochemical behaviors of the two-dimensional cross-section and cylindrical surfaces of a CF. Two specially designed carbon fiber electrodes (CFE) were used to understand the carbon fiber electrochemical performance in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. The results show that the CF is two-dimensional anisotropic in electrochemistry, and the cross-section is two orders of magnitude more active than the cylindrical surface. The strong polarization caused damage to the carbon fiber, particularly on the exposed cross-section.