| Abstract: | Fibers consisting of a rigid rod polymer and thermoset resin matrices were prepared. Poly(benzo-[1,2-d : 5,4-d′]bisoxazole-2,6-diyl)-1,4-phenylene} (PBO) in polyphosphoric acid (PPA) was blended with isophthaloyl bis-4-benzocyclobutene (1) or 2,6-bis-4-benzocyclobutene benzo[1,2-d: 5,4-d′]bisoxazole (2), and fibers were spun from these dopes. As-spun fibers that did not show phase segregation between the two components as examined with an optical microscope, were soluble in methanesulfonic acid (MSA). After heat treat-ment, the fibers swelled but did not dissolve in MSA. A fiber cross section of heat-treated PBO-1 fiber showed well-dispersed benzocyclobutene polymer domains of 200–500 Å by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Films cast from MSA solutions of PBO and 2 were homogeneous, and TEM of heat-treated fiber showed only one phase. A molecular composite fiber was made. Some of these fibers showed 20–30% improvement in compressive strength over unmodified PBO fiber. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. |
