Patent ID: 7816004

Claim:
Three dimensional (3D) carbon fiber structures having an original carbon fiber (OCF) covered with a network of secondary and tertiary carbon filaments comprising: secondary carbon filaments (SCF) grown on a heated surface of an original carbon fiber (OCF) having a catalytic metal weight content of less than approximately 100 parts per million (ppm), each secondary carbon filament (SCF) being substantially straight and having a diameter of approximately 1 μm to approximately 100 μm, and lengths of approximately 200 μm to approximately 1000 μm; and curly tertiary carbon filaments (TCF) grown as branches on the surface of the secondary carbon filaments (SCF) and characterized by a catalytic metal weight content in excess of approximately 0.1 weight percent, the tertiary carbon filaments (TCF) each having a diameter of approximately 0.2 μm to approximately 1 μm and each having a length of approximately 1 μm to approximately 100 μm, wherein the three dimensional (3D) carbon fibers have an original carbon fiber (OCF) covered with a network of straight secondary carbon filaments (SCF) and the secondary carbon filaments thereof covered with a network of curly tertiary carbon filaments (TCF) and the resulting 3D carbon fibers are both strong and mechanically durable so as to efficiently bind with metal, ceramic, glass and concrete materials.