The Dow Chemical Company

Masaru Nakagawa

Chieh-Chun Chau

Yoshihiko Teramoto

Timothy L Faley

Michael E Mills

George J Quarderer, Jr

Myrna Serrano

Ritchie A Wessling

Steven Rosenberg

Katsuya Tani

Takaharu Ichiryu

Ashish Sen

Timothy J Rehg

Ravi B Shanker

The invention is a process for the preparation of polybenzazole staple fibers which includes extruding a solution of polybenzazole polymer to form a dope filament, cutting the dope filament to a desired length, and washing and drying the cut filament. It has been discovered that the process of the invention provides a suitable means to prepare staple fibers which does not require the cutting of washed, rigid polybenzazole filaments.

Process for the preparation of polybenzazole staple fiber

Polybenzoxazole or polybenzothiazole polymer dopes are spun through a spinneret having an orifice density of more than 0.25 per cm.sup.2 to form filaments. The filaments formed then pass through an air gap which has a gas flowing into it at a temperature of between about 5.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C. and at a flow rate between about 0.1 meters/second and about 2.0 meters/second. The filaments cool in the air gap and are then coagulated. During or after coagulation the filaments are combined into one or more fibers. By this method of controlling the temperature in the air gap it is possible to stably spin polybenzoxazole or polybenzothiazole fibers at relatively high final line speeds.

Method for stable rapid spinning of a polybenzoxazole or

Polybenzazole polymer dopes are spun into fibers at high speed by passing through a spinneret with proper selection of hole geometry, followed by spin-drawing to a spin-draw ratio of at least 20, washing, taking up and drying. The take up speed is at least about 150 meters per minute, and the fibers are spun in at least 10 km lengths without a break.

Method for spinning a polybenzazole fiber

Polybenzazole polymer dopes are spun through a spinneret having more than 2 per cm.sup.2, of orifices in relatively close proximity. The dope filaments formed, then pass through an air gap which has a temperature of 50.degree. to 100.degree. C. and a gas flow sufficient to uniformly reduce the temperature of the dope filaments. The filaments cool in the air gap and are then coagulated.

Method for rapid spinning of a polybenzazole fiber

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Ohtsu, Japan

Masaru Nakagawa