Properties,Morphology and Structure of BPDA/PPD/TFMB Polyimide Fibers

The mechanical properties of fibers were notably improved by incorporating 2,2′-bis(trifluoromethyl)- benzidine(TFMB) into 3,3′,4,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride(s-BPDA) and p-phenylenediamine(PPD) backbone. The best strength and modulus of BPDA/PPD/TFMB polyimide(PI) fiber(diamine molar ratio of PPD/TFMB= 90/10) were 1.60 and 90 GPa, respectively, which was over two times that of BPDA/PPD PI fiber. SEM image showed that the cross-section of fibers at each stage was round and voids free. Besides, the “skin-core” and microfibrillar structure were not observed. The thermal properties of PI fibers were also investigated. The results showed that the fibers owned excellent thermal stability, moreover, the structural homogeneity of fibers were significantly improved by heat-drawn stage. The T_g values were found to be around 300℃ by dynamic mechanical analysis(DMA). Wide angle X-ray diffraction(WAXD) and small angle X-ray scattering(SAXS) experiments indicated that the order degree of longitudinal and lateral stacks, the molecular orientation and the structural homogeneity of fibers were improved in the preparation process of fibers.