Structures and properties of polyimide fibers containing ether units

Copolyimide (co-PI) fibers containing 4,4′-oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODPA) moiety into the 3,3′,4,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA)/p-phenylenediamine backbone were prepared via a two-step wet-spinning method. The processability and mechanical properties were improved significantly after the incorporation of ODPA, and the fibers exhibited an optimum tensile strength of 10.94 cN dtex⁻¹ and modulus of 470.52 cN dtex⁻¹ with elongation of 2.75 % at a BPDA/ODPA molar ratio of 7/3. Two-dimensional wide angle X-ray diffraction indicated that highly oriented structures and ordered molecular packing regions were formed in the fibers. Two-dimensional small angle X-ray scattering revealed that the incorporation of ODPA resulted in the reduction in radius, length, misorientation, and internal surface roughness of the microvoids in the fibers simultaneously, which was supposed to be mainly dominated for the drastically improved mechanical properties of PI fibers. Moreover, the co-PI fibers exhibited excellent thermal and thermal-oxidative stability, and the 5 % weight loss temperature was above 572 and 535 °C under nitrogen and air, respectively.