Spinning of sol gel siliceous-containing fibers with wet coagulation

Abstract

A wet and dry jet wet spinning process produce one or a plurality of siliceous-containing fibers. At least a partial hydrolyzate is formed from silicon alkoxides and/or colloidal dispersions of hydrolyzable metal oxides through acid catalyzed hydrolysis in the presence of a solvent. The ratio of amounts of the water to silicon alkoxide or hydrous oxide is around 1.5 to 1 up to less than around 4 to 1. Both the hydrolysis and polymerization reactions produce an ungelled hydrolyzate with a viscosity in the range of 70 to greater than 1000 poise. This hydrolyzate is extruded through a spinnerette into a gaseous environment for dry jet wet spinning followed by contacting with a nonsolvent liquid or directly into a nonsolvent liquid for wet spinning. The contacting with the nonsolvent liquid is for effective coagulation to produce cohesive fiber that may have some stickiness. The fiber is removed from the nonsolvent liquid where the fiber's length is continuous from the spinnerette to removal. The continuous fiber is collected when it has at least a coagulated surface to produce a predominantly nonsticky fiber. The fiber may be utilized as precursor fiber or further processed by washing and/or stretching and/or drying and/or heating for removal of water, and organic solvent and/or consolidating of the fiber.