High performance fibers aromatic polyamide fiber

Aramid Fibers. Aromatic polyamide fibers exhibiting a range of mechanical properties are available from several manufacturers, perhaps the best known being Du Pont s proprietary fiber Kevlar. These fibers possess many unique properties, such as high specific tensile strength and modulus (see Fig. 4). Aramid fibers have good chemical resistance to water, hydrocarbons, and solvents. They also show excellent flame retardant characteristics (see High PERFORMANCE fibers Polyamdes). 

Both m- and -phenylenediamine react with ben2enedicarbonyl dichlorides to give linear, fully aromatic polyamides (see High performance fibers). 

High performance polymer fibers (HPPF) have excellent mechanical properties compared to traditional textile fibers such as nylon. The typical HPPFs are aramid and polyethylene fibers (6). Aramid is a generic name for a class of aromatic polyamide fibers, most of which are varieties of poly(p-pheny-lene terephthalamide). Kevlar is the trade name of the varieties of aramid polymers introduced conunercially by Dupont. The molecules in the fibers of these materials are oriented in the axial direction. Poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) is a rigid molecule with the following structure ... 

The novel fibers serve as reinforcement for special performances like endurance at high temperatures and premium mechanical properties. They consist of aromatic polyesters and polyamides, polyimides and other high-performance polymers. Most distinguished are Kevlar , Nomex , Ekonol and PEEK . 

Aramid fibers are highly oriented fibers derived from aromatic polyamides, with Kevlar and Nomex as two prominent examples. The woven fabric of aramids combined with phenolic resins produces high-performance composites for ballistic applications, where the projectile energy is mainly absorbed by the fiber with a high strength and modulus (Gardziella et al, 2000). 

High modulus fibers from lyotropic aromatic polyamides, poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPTA), were first conunercialized imder the Kevlar trademark by DuPont [414]. The aromatic polyamides, or aramids, are produced by a dry jet-wet spinning process where the nematic structure in solution is responsible for the high modulus fiber performance [415-419]. Another class of lyotropic fibers, also produced by dry jet-wet spinning, are the rigid rod polymers developed as part of the U.S. Air Force Ordered Polymers Program [420-424]. The most conunon of these ordered polymers, poly(p-phenylene benzobisthiazole) (PBZT), is difficult to process, but it exhibits the highest tensile properties of all the LCP fibers produced to date. 

Aromatic polyamides are specialty products [182], used for high-performance fibers and composites, which are produced by solution or interfacial processes from acid chlorides and amines. 

Figure 2. Chemical structures of the aromatic polyamides [aramids] poly-(1,4-benzamide) (I) and poly(l,4-phenylene terephthalamide) (II). The latter macromolecule constitutes Du Font s high-performance Kevlar fibers.

To overcome the problems of cellulose acetate membranes, many synthetic polymeric materials for reverse osmosis were proposed, but except for one material, none of them proved successful. The only one material, which could remain on the market, was the linear aromatic polyamide with pendant sulfonic acid groups, as shown in Figure 1.2. This material was proposed by DuPont, which fabricated very fine hollow fiber membranes the modules of this membrane were designated B-9 and B-10. They have a high rejection performance, which can be used for single-stage seawater desalination. They were widely used for mainly seawater or brackish water desalination and recovery of valuable materials such as electric deposition paints, until DuPont withdrew them from the market in 2001. 

PAIs are unique materials that have elements of PA (aka nylon) chemistry, as well as aromatic polyimide chemistry. They have exceptional mechanical, chemical, and thermal properties and are considered by some to be at the top of the thermoplastic performance chart. They have high strength, exceptional high heat capability, and broad chemical resistance. Polyamide-imide polymers are melt processible and can be processed into a wide variety of forms—from injection- or compression-molded parts and ingots— to coatings, films, fibers, and adhesives. PAI is often lower in cost than TPI. 

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