Production of fibers or films using specific forming solutions and the

Abstract

A process for producing fibers or films by the steps of: a) preparing an aromatic polyamide by polycondensation of dicarbonyl dihalides or mixtures thereof with at least two diamines in N-alkyllactams as a solvent, the polycondensation being of at least 90 mol %, based on the total amount of dicarbonyl dihalides in the reaction mixture, of compounds of the formula I or mixtures of such compounds Hal--OC--Ar.sup.1 --CO--Hal (I) with at least 90 mol%, based on the total amount of diamines in the reaction mixture, of compounds of the formula II and optionally III or mixtures of such compounds H.sub.2 N--Ar.sup.2 --NH.sub.2 (II), H.sub.2 N--Ar.sup.3 --NH.sub.2 (III) where Ar.sup.1, Ar.sup.2 and Ar.sup.3 are independently of each other a bivalent aromatic radical, the proportion of structural repeat units in the aromatic polyamide derived from the compounds of the formula II, based on the proportion of the structural repeat units derived from the compounds of the formulae II and III, being at least 50 mol %, and said aromatic polyamide is soluble in organic solvents, b) forcing the solution of the aromatic polyamide obtained in step a) through dies of the desired cross-sectional shape at temperatures from 40.degree. to 120.degree. C. to form fibers or films, c) removing the organic solvent in a conventional manner to produce solvent-leaner or -free fibers or films sufficiently mechanically stable and nontacky for further processing. The process of the invention omits the customary neutralization after the aromatic polyamide has been prepared.