Polyimide Fiber Production via Coagulation Alleviation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for producing polyimide fibers are limited to using soluble polyimides, restricting the range of polyimide components and resulting in fibers with suboptimal physical properties, such as strength and thermal expansion.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a polyimide precursor solution with a compound having specific acid dissociation and octanol-water partition coefficients, which acts as both a coagulation alleviating agent and an imidization promoter, allowing the production of polyimide fibers with improved physical properties by using an aqueous coagulation bath and heat drawing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If soluble polyimide is used as fiber material, then wet spinning can be performed, but the type of polyimide component is limited and desired physical properties cannot be obtained

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverange of polyimide componentsVSAvoidfiber strength
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the chemical structure parameters of polyimide by introducing specific moieties (biphenyltetracarboxylic acid dianhydride and toluene diisocyanate or diaminotoluene) to achieve both insolubility and enhanced physical properties. This allows using a wider range of polyimide components while maintaining fiber strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite polyimide structure by combining different chemical components (aromatic tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride with diamine or diamino compound) to achieve synergistic effects that provide both processability and superior physical properties including strength and heat resistance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Strength

If soluble polyimide is used, then fiber production is feasible, but physical properties such as strength and thermal expansion are suboptimal

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefiber strengthVSAvoidmanufacturing feasibility
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention modifies the chemical parameters of polyimide by introducing specific rigid moieties that enhance strength and thermal stability while maintaining processability through controlled synthesis methods, thereby improving physical properties without sacrificing manufacturing feasibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Temperature

If conventional polyimide structure is used, then production is straightforward, but heat resistance is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat resistanceVSAvoidchemical structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the thermal parameters of polyimide by incorporating aromatic rings and rigid molecular structures (biphenyltetracarboxylic acid dianhydride with toluene diisocyanate or diaminotoluene) that significantly raise the glass transition temperature and decomposition temperature, achieving superior heat resistance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The method enables the production of polyimide fibers with desirable properties like thermal stability, strength, and reduced moisture regain, suitable for applications like fiber-reinforced plastics, while expanding the range of usable polyimide components.

Implementation Method 1

a coagulation step of forming a polyimide precursor fiber by extruding a polyimide precursor solution containing a polyimide precursor and a compound having an acid dissociation constant (pKa) of a conjugate acid in water at 25°C in the range of 6.0 to 10 inclusive and an octanol-water partition coefficient (Log P) at 25°C in the range of -0.55 to 0.24 inclusive into a nonsolvent for the polyimide precursor

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCoagulation: Coagulation

Implementation Method 2

Subsequent heat treatment is carried out at temperature not higher than 360°C

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat treatment: Heat Treatment

Data Source

PatentEP3225723B1Polymide fiber and method for producing polymide fiber
Publication Date: 2021.07.07 I S T CORP
  • EP3225723B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3225723B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3225723B1 patent drawing

AI summary

The method for producing a polyimide fiber includes a coagulation step of forming a polyimide precursor fiber by extruding a polyimide precursor solution containing a polyimide precursor and a compound having an acid dissociation constant (pKa) of a conjugate acid in water at 25°C of 6.0 to 10 inclusive and an octanol-water partition coefficient (Log P) at 25°C of -0.75 to 0.75 inclusive into a poor solvent or nonsolvent for the polyimide precursor; and a heat drawing step of forming the polyimide fiber by drawing the polyimide precursor fiber while heating same. The polyimide fiber of the present disclosure has a physical property such that the coefficient of thermal expansion thereof is in the range of -15 ppm/K to 0 ppm/K inclusive.