Effect of comonomers on melt processability of polyacrylonitrile

This work is concerned with the feasibility of achieving melt-processable polyacrylonitrile copolymer systems as precursors for the manufacture of carbon fibers. Identification of suitable comonomers and achieving the optimum content of the comonomer were some of the main objectives of this investigation. It was seen that methyl acrylate (MA) was found to be suitable for enabling the melt processing of polyacrylonitrile (PAN), in terms of melt viscosity, time stability, and char yield. Below 10 mol % of MA, the PAN copolymer exhibited no flowability, even at very low molecular weights (similar to 20,000). The long-range order inherently present in PAN is speculated to be broken down at a critical value of about 10% MA at 220degreesC in the PAN-based system, enabling its melt flowability. It was also seen that the incorporation of MA was seen to improve the temperature and molecular weight window of processability of the PAN system. The molecular weight cutoff for the 90/10 mol % acrylonitrile/methyl acrylate (AN/MA) system was about 50,000 at 220degreesC, whereas it was increased to about 100,000 in the presence of 15 mol % MA comonomer. Feasibility studies on the use of other comonomers such as higher acrylates and acrylamides were also conducted. (C) 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.