Effects on the Structures and Properties of APMOC Fiber from Hydrothermal Aging

Abstract

By the test of hydrothermal aging, the effect on the structures and properties of APMOC fiber is studied, while monofilament tensile test and the corresponding structural analysis are carried out on the test samples. The results show that, in the range of experimental temperature and humidity, APMOC had no significant change in molecular structure; after hydrothermal aging, the tensile strength, elongation and elastic modulus of APMOC fiber show some fluctuation, instead of downward trend continually, there are more obvious effects on the changes of the tensile strength from temperature, i.e. the higher the temperature, the lower the tensile strength during the process of aging. The general effect of thermal aging on fiber properties are the embrittlement and the decreased elongation. The microscopic mechanism of fiber failure modes from raw fiber splitting to brittle rupture is interpreted through the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation on the tensile fracture before and after aging, combined with the skin core structure characteristics of APMOC fiber.