Carbon Fibers presents an up-to-date review of the progress pertaining to the formation of carbon fibers from rayon, acrylic, and pitch precursors. The book emphasizes the preparation, characterization, and properties of commercial materials. It also considers the compressive properties of carbon fibers, the lack of correlation between surface characterization and fiber-matrix interactions, and the discrepancy between surface composition as determined by XPS and the reaction of surface groups with chemical reagents. Other topics discussed include: