———— LLU) n Journal of Fibne & Teatile Research Vl. 27, Seprember 2002, pp. 290-306 Review Articles Aramid fibres - An overview M Jassal’ & $ Ghosh Technology, Indian Intute of Technology, New Delhi 110016, India Received 16 July 2001; accepted 24 September 2001 ‘The history, preparation and structure of aramid in general and of Nomex and Kevlar aramid fibres in particular are discussed, The siructure-property correlation and the application areas of these fibres are reviewed, Aramid fibres are characterized by their superior thermal properties, resistance to chemicals and outstanding mechanical properties. Keywords Aramid fire, Aromatic polyamides, Kevlar, Liguid crystallin spinning, Nomex, Technora 1 Introduction The first organic fibre with high enough tensile modulus and strength to be used as reinforcement in advanced composites was an aromatic polyamide fibre or aramid fibre. As aramids have 5-10% higher mechanical properties than other synthetic fibres, these are displacing metal wires and inorganic fibres from the market of high performance uses like various structural composites for application in aircraft, marine and automobile, ropes for offshore oil rigs, and bullet proof vests, The fibres not only have much better mechanical properties than steel and glass fibres on an equal weight basis, but also maintain these properties at high temperatu polymers are excellent heat and flame resista they also have wide applications in areas like protective clothing in hostile environment where heat, chemical and radiation are present, furnishing in public places as flame resistant, industrial filters and hollow fibres for desalination by reverse osmosis. The word ‘Aramid’ is a generic term for a manufactured fibre in which the fibre forming substance is a long - chain synthetic polyamide, in which at least 85% of amide linkages are attached directly to two aromatic tings, as defined by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Therefore, by definition, the aramid family will cover Kevlar, Nomex, Technora, Teijinconex, Twaron, etc. fibres. In this review, an attempt has been made to present a brief overview of To whom all the correspondence should be addressed, Phone: 6591426; Fax: 0091-011-6858112; Ezmail: manjeetjassal @hotmail.com aramid fibres, giving emphasis on their structure- property correlations and their different outstanding applications. The history of development of aramid fibres is + given in Table 1. It took a long time to figure out how to make anything useful out of aramid fibres because it would not dissolve in anything. ‘Therefore, processing it as a solution was not possible. It wouldn't melt below ~ 500°C, so melting it down was out too. The development of aromatic polyamides changed dramatically in direction with the discovery of lyotropic liquid crystalline aramids, Kwolek®, a DuPont Research Scientist, prepared the first high molecular weight lyotropic aramid. He synthesized the rigid chain poly (p-benzamide) in high molecular weight and with limited crystallinity to promote the dissolution of this seemingly intractable polymer in amide salt solvents. This discovery allowed the development of a novel fibre spinning process for anisotropic solution by Blades’, resulting in commercialization of Kevlar. The synthesis of numerous aromatic polyamide compositions and the development of a number of commercial aramid fibres followed this, In addition to aromatic polyamides, aromatic heterocyclic polymers like poly (p-phenylene benzobisthiazole) (PBZT) and poly (p- phenylene benzobisoxazole) (PBZO) also have highly ordered structures in solid ** DuPont is. world’s leading producer of aramid fibres, controlling about jin Ltd, Japan, is the second largest producer.Others include Rhone- Poulene, France; Toray Industries Inc. Japan; Acordis’; Akzo Nobel NV, Netherlands, aSAL & GHOSH: ARAMID FIBRES: wh ‘Table History of development of aramid fibre Year Event 1938 1962 1965 1970 1971 CCommercalzaton of Nylon Invroduetion of Nomex fibre Discovery of anisotropic polymer by PLE, Flory’ Discovery of ar-gap spinning Introduction of fibre-B wr Inroduction of Tei Commercalisaton of Kevlar Introduction of Twaron Introduction of Kermet® Introduction of Fenilon’ Introduction of SVM fibre (formerly Vaiivion Development of arena aramid fibre Introduction of HMO-S0 (Technora) aramid fibre Commercialisation of Twarun (formerly Ameka) Introduction of PBO-HM. Introduction of Treva discontinued later) Kevlar 49 HS by new fbge technology ( 1976 1978. 1987 1988. 1996 197 1998 1) Introduction of Armos! Poly(an-phenylene isophthals PPD-T-Poly(p-phenyleneterephthalamide) Pooducer Base polymer DuPont Co, USA MeD4 DuPont Co, USA (PBA ti)PPD-T ‘Tein Lid, Japan & DuPont Co,, USA MPD Alo Chemicals BE, Netherlands PPD-T Rhone-Poulen, PDT MPD MPDI Polyhetenoarylene Teijn Li, Japan Toyobo, pan “Toyobo, Japan Hoechst, Germany DuPont Co, USA Russia Fraromatichydrocyclic copolyamide ); PBA-Poly(p-bencamide)and 2 Preparation of Aramid Fibres 21 Synthesis Rigid molecules in solution behave differently from flexible molecules. Flexible molecules, in going from dilute to higher concentrations, pack together by bending and entangling, forming random coils. But rigid molecules, in going from dilute to higher concentrations, cannot form random coils because their movement is restricted. Therefore, at a critical concentration, they have transition to a liquid crystalline state. In this state, the molecules are aligned parallel to each other in randomly oriented domains or aggregates of the rod-like polymer molecules, Therefore, the usual methods for the preparation of aliphatic polyamides are unsuited to the preparation of high molecular weight aromatic polyamides, However, two methods are available for the preparation of medium to high molecular weight polymer: (i) Low-temperature polycondensation (preferably below 50°C to avoid degradation, side reaction and crosslinking), and (ii) Direct polycondensation in. solution using phosphites (in presence of metal salts), Among the two low-temperature polycondensation methods available, namely interfacial _poly- condensation and solution polycondensation, the second process is preferred, because in interfuctal polymerization the molecular weight distribution is broad, which is not suitable for preparation of fibres. In solution polycondensation, the polymerization medium is an inert solvent for at least one of the reactant and solvent or swelling agent for the polymer (preferably a solvent). The preferred solvents are dimethyl acetamide (DMAc), N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), hexamethy! phosphoric triamide (HMPA) and tetramethyl urea (TMU), But no organic solvent is sufficiently powerful for aramids to keep the polymer in solution as its molecular weight builds up. However, by addition of lithium or calcium chloride the solvating power of many organic solvents is greatly increased, Typical polymerization conditions for some commercially attractive aramids are given in Table 2 .The chain conformation of diiferent aramids is shown in Fig. | while the chemical reactions occurring during the synthesis are shown in Fig. The Nomex™ (meta aramid) polymer was produced using m-phenylenediamine and dichloride of m-isophthalic acid. Amorphous heat-resistant polyamides (copolymers of meta and para aramids) have been prepared by solution polymerization in N- methyl pyrrolidone (NMP) from equimolar amounts20? INDIANS FIBRE ‘XT RES, SEPTEMBER 2002 Polymerization conditions for certain aramids SLNo. Monnet Solvent Polymer Nas 1 HMPAINMP. 95/5 Copaly (p-penyleneteephihalumideisophthalamide) 448 Iauphthalos hlride 2 ophthato HIMPAINMP. 54S Cupulylp-phenylene isphthalamide/terephthalamide) 39 3 pPhenyfenedianine TIMPAINMP Vt Copoly p-phenylene-p-phenylenedisocyano terephthalamide) 1.83, Phong lene dis Lac Terephthahyt chloride 4 pPhenylenedisine HMPAINMP 2,$Bivp-ainophenyl). LiCl 13edovadiuole Tetephthaloy che 5 prPhenylenediomine Choro, phenylenedimine Terephthaloy chore HMPA — Hexumethy| phosphoric rami. Dimethyl acetamide, -methy-2-pyroidone, 9515 Copolymer 287 O20 Copolymer 282 Copoly p-phenylene)?2, 5-is ~(p-aminophenyl}-1,3,4- oxadiazo 4.48 terephthalamide WSO Copoly(p-henylene?2-chloro--phenylene terephthalamide) 3.85 Fig. 1—Chain conformation of different aramids (a) poly(p- phenylene terephthalamide), (b) poly(3, $'- dipheny! ether terephthalamide), and (c) poly(4, 4°-ipeny! ether terephthala mide) of 4, 4°-methylene diamine, p-phenylenediamine, isophthaloyl chloride and terephihaloy! chloride. Despite the amorphous character of polyamide, it offers excellent resistance to common organic solvents and inorganic solutions. ‘The preparation of AB polyamides [poly (p- benzamide)| using acid chloride and amine condensation requires protection of amine group with a labile group, which is removed as the poly- merization proceeds, Both monomer sulfinyl derivative and hydrochloride salt” have been polymerized to high molecular weights using low- temperature solution technique. The polymerization of these derivatives requires the stoichiometric amount of hydroxide or water as base. The inorganic salts generated, in situ, increase the solubility and stabilize the resulting solutions. In DMAC, lithium carbonate or hydride is preferred", Polymer molecular weight is strongly affected by the reaction temperature. Maximum values are obtained when the initial temperature is 0-5 °C and the final temperature is 30°C or less. Preferred monomer concentrations depend on the solvent used and vary from 1.1 militre in HMPA to about 0.5 nvltre in DMAC. ‘The problems associated with the limited solubility of poly(l, 4-benzamide) have been avoided by utilizing solid state polymerization of hydrochloride salt derivative of monomer in the absence of solvent or in hexane slurry with pyridine as acid acceptor".JASSAL & GHOSH: ARAMID FIBRES 23 Diarine PPO $-10% (6.07%) sala se-120c 90) “>| wine Sokent 10-30 (16) 01-15 10083) HPT | 95% | Pohmeizer A, | 4-158 (6C) |rming and cooing | (8.7 5) i Payerae 6, 40.95% €0-3008 big stear [> (67) | exangandcoaing| 755) (124 sont ‘Spin schent fis Dope {_wepatzion ae rphenleetionine pity! yet 2HCl (MPD) chiovide. (b) HO) +0 por sent foro obfp-phenlene een) PDT (¢) Fig, 2~Polyeondensstion reaction for polymerization ()Preparation of PPT-D fibre (b Polymerization of Nomer/Conex, and (c) Sok vent polycondensation of Twaro/Kevlarot INDIES CHEE TEM RES. SEPEEMBE The polynner roughly nevdleike structure of monomers is reported with inherent viwovity of 4.1 dl Az High molecular weight poly (1, des with Yoo = 1.7 dig in H)SO, have also. ben produced hy reacting 4-aminobenzoie acid) with tripheny! phosphite in N-methylpyrvolidone/pyridine (NMP/Py) solution containing lithium chloride, Molecular weight is dependent on concentration, temperature, solvent — composition, —- monomer ‘concentration and the base used”. Poly (1, 4+ phenylene terephthlumide) (PPD-T) of high molecular weight can be prepared by lowe temperature solution technique’. PPD-T is. less soluble in amide type of solvents than is PBA and, therefore, the most suituble conditions require HMPA. alone or mixed with NMP!) although other mixtures” also produce fibre-forming polymers. The highest molecular weight of PPD-T was obtained in 1:2 ratio of HMPA: NMP or 1:14 ratio of DMAC; HMPA and this suggests salt formation which promotes PPD-T solvation, Preparation in DMAC and MP or in mixtures of these solvents at all ratios result in low molecular weight polymer showing no synergistic solvent effect, possibly because no salt is formed. Addition of salt to the mixture of DMAC- HMPA or NMP-HMPA results in low imolecular weight PPD-T, NMP containing dissolved CaCl; is the preferred solvent for commercial production. During the polymerisation, the molecular weight increases very rapidly within the first few seconds of reaction, Although the reaction mixture gelation occurs quickly, polymerization continues at a greatly reduced rate, Critical factors influencing polymer molecular weight include stoichiometry, solvent composition, temperature, reactant concentration amd mmiving, By choosing « suitable solvent, gelation can be delayed until high molecular weight is reached. PPD- T molecular weight reaches a maximum’ at about 0.25 mflitre in HMPA/NMP (2:1, vol/vol.) but in 100% HMPA the maximum occurred at 0.7 militre, At low concentrations, the undesirable side reactions with solvent become important to limit the molecular weight and the high concentration may induce gel formation at lower molecular weight, In the laboratory, the reaction between I, 4- phenylenediamine and terephthaloyl chloride is carried out by dissolving the diamine in a solvent and cooling (0 to -15°C), The low initial temperature minimizes the side reactions and prevents the reaction exotherm from overheating the mass, The acid chloride is udded as a finely divided solid with very cfticient mixing, The reaction can continue in the gel slate ata much slower rate for several hours, Intrinsic viscosity values of 5-6 dl/y are typical of polymers prepared by this method, In large-scale continuous polymerization of PPD-T, the problems of control of stoichiometry, rapid mixing and gelation are overcome by the use of specially designed mixing ypparatus. Use of such mixing device allow continuous mixing by impinging a stream of 1, 4+ phenylenediamine solution and a stream of molten terephthaloy! chloride, Residence time in the mixture is fess than one second, Then the reactants enter a high shear continuous serew mixer, where the molecular weight increases substantially tw produce a polymer with intrinsic viscosity of 44.5 dig. ‘The third stage of polymerization takes place in a high shear twin serew meter with blades arranged to allow for subst cle zones within the mixer. ‘These reeyele zones reduce the external cooling requirement and increase the residence time in the mixer, resulting in higher molecular weight and lower reaction temperatures. The provess system assigned to, DuPont describes a system using HMPA as solvent, NMP containing large amounts of calcium chloride cu be an alternate solvent system with” better chemical and thermal stability than HMPA, making the solvent recovery easier. Calcium chloride more effective solvent additive as concentration increases. Since the solubility of CaCl: in NMP is only 60 at 20°C the favoured polymerization conditions use a slurry or salt in the organic phase. As the polymerization proceeds, the salt continues. to dissolve, probably due to the formation of CuClyamide compleres Presence of N,N? dimethylaniline, an cid acceptor, further enhances the molecular weight. This solvent system produces, polymer of comparuble molecular weight to that formed in HMPA solution. ‘The effect of the conditions of synthesis on the molecular weight characteristics of aromatic polyamides is examined and discussed in relation to the properties of wetsspun aramid fibres by Manina eral”. Segmented copolymers consisting of crystallizable p-phenylene terephthalamide ester units and poly (tetramethylene oxide) segments were synthesized by Niesten et al.", The length of the poly (tetramethylene oxide) segments in the polymers was varied from 650 g/mol to 2900 g/mol and the effect of low 7, segments was investigated using the thermalJASSAL& GHOSH: ARAMID FIBRES 295 methods. One-step polycondensation of 3, 3°-, 4, 4’- biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride with aromatic diamines in phenol as solvent and with p- hydroxybenzoic acid as accelerator has been used successfully to produce polyamides for strong fibres”, 2.2 Fibre Formation Aramids decompose before or during melting, and hence are spun from solution, Although both dry and wet spinning techniques are suitable, the ultimate properties vary depending on the polymer structure and the method employed. 22.1 Dope Structure The linear aramid molecular structures, such as PBA and PPD-T, are lyotropic liquid crystals. Under the certain favourable conditions of solvent, concen- tration and molecular weight, the molecules form nematic liquid crystals, i.e. they are organized in es- sentially parallel arrays. In the absence of external orienting field, the multiple arrays or domains, each with high molecular orientation but randomly oriented with respect to each other, are formed. In the presence of orienting field, these domains orient easily in the field as detailed by Wissbrun*" and Berry and Strong” The viscosity of PPD-T in 100% sulphuric acid as a function of concentration (for two different molecular weights) is shown in Fig. 3. It is observed that as the concentration increases, there is a rapid increase in viscosity of polymer solution until a critical concentration is reached, after which the viscosity rapidly drops. The increase is the expected rise in viscosity with concentration for an isotropic polymer, the critical concentration marks the start of nematic (sottopic) phase formation and the viscosity drop shows low-viscosity behaviour of nematic liquid crystals"®, The critical polymer concentration needed for mesophase formation is dependent on the molecular weight of the polymer. For solution spinning process, the high molecular weight polymer, high polymer concentration in the dope and the low dope viscosity are required for ob- taining good mechanical properties, easy processibil- ity and low cost. Fig. 4 shows a phase diagram for PPT-D in 100% sulphuric acid. In the high concentra- tion (18-23% PPT-D), low viscosity region of interest the dope is solid up to about 80°C. These dopes are required to be melted before spinning and for low temperature coagulation, these are required to be dry- jet wet spun. The process is best described as melt log %o,P) $Viscosity-concentationtemperature profile of PPDT- 30, solution _ ' 160 Isotropic + an solvian Jae 5% Anisotropic fv sclution srt wi i ie ‘sin te | AY Sn | Aap pi =" Asisatropic sails Région for wet spinning 6 8 0 2 % 16 Wt % | ® 0 22 Fig, 4Phase diagram of anisotropic solution of PPD-T in 10%t HSO; spinning of PPT-D in nematic phase, with fibre pre- cipitating in the air gap and the acid stripped off in the coagulation bath. It is also evident from the phase diagram that up to concentrations of 10%, the dope viscosity remains low and such dopes can be wet spun. 22.2 Aramid Spinning The anisotropic polymer dope (in concentrated sulphuric acid) is extruded through spinnerets at about 100°C through about I cm air gap into cold water (0 °C). The fibre precipitates in the air gap and the acid is removed in the coagulation bath. The spinneret capillary and air gap causes rotation and alignment of domains, resulting in highly crystalline and oriented—————— L,LULDLhUCU 296 INDIAN J. BRET: as-spun fibres (Fig.5), When the anisotropic solution passes through the capillary hole, the capillary shear causes some of the liquid crystal domains to orient along the direction of shear; however, at the capillary sit, some deorientation of liquid erystal domain occurs because of solution visco-clasticty. The orientation is quickly overcome by filament attenuation under spinning tension, The attenuated filament, after washi ition and drying results in highly crystalline, high strength and h modulus fibre. The isotropic solution, spun by wet spinning, is exposed to the coagulant as soon as it exit the spinneret nozzle, preventing the solution from complete attenuation and hence results in low tenacity, intermediate modulus and high elongation. The process claimed by DuPont” provides for the wet spinning of meta-aramid polymer solutions having a salt content of atleast 3% by weight to produce a one-step, fully wet draw able fibre which has desirable physical properties without hot drawing of the fibre. Another patent? provides a highly oriented aramid fibre with high tensile strength, high tensile modulus and low breakage elongation by spinning the liquid crystal polymers, such as aramids, and drafting the polymer into or adjacent to a first coagulation bath. A polymer solution with a concentration of 4-24 weight% is extruded as a stream into non-coagulation fluid and the stream is stretched in the non-coagulating fluid and passed through coagulating bath where it is drafted by using a roller. As a result, a highly oriented aramid fibre with tensile strength of 1500-5000Mpa, tensile modulus of 200-500 Gpa and the elongation of 0.8- 1.4 is obtained. For the wet spinning of aramid fibres with enhanced mechanical properties, incorporation of 2, 6-naphhthylene units containing copolymer in the weight ratio of 95:5 - 85:15 is claimed”, Inan effort to reduce the nepping tendency of high- modulus Kevlar fibres, scientists from DuPont prepared the Kevlar fibres by wet spinning the PPD-T followed by washing to water content > 50%. The fibres were then coated with poly (organosiloxane), ethylene oxide and propylene oxide block copolymer or its derivative and stretched under a tension of 1-10 gpd and dried. Neps/10000 m were found to be 4.8 with fibre tenacity of 24.8 gpd having a modulus of 816 gpd”, Research workers of Asahi Chemical Industries" have used the copper compounds with sulphidising agents to prepare electrically conductive p-aramid fibres. PPD-T fibres were spun by anisotropic dopes ‘T, RES,, SEPTEMBER 2002 Spinning solution Lig erystline ins \ Tease a Elongetion stretch alignment of domain directions Coagulation bath a Soliificetion by TSC coaling Romoval of solvent Fig. $—Schematc diagram ofthe extrusion ofthe liquid erystal- line solution through the spinning hole and subsequent elongation stretch inthe air gap having p-oriented aromatic polyamide in 98.5% H,SO, at 30°C. Fibres were then treated with coagulating solution, followed by washing Washed fibres were impregnated with copper compounds and sulphidising agents. 2.2.3 Fibre Heat Treatment ‘The physical and tensile properties of as-spun aramid fibres can be further improved by heat {treatment under tension. The effect of heat treatment on the fibres spun by different techniques is shown in Fig. 6 . In wet-spun yams, both tenacity and modulus increase exponentially with increasing temperature (and draw ratio). The effective increase begins at about 360°C (7, of polymer) and the properties attain a maximum at about 550°C (Ty of polymer), During the heat treatment, wet-spun yarns show major increase in crystallinity, structure perfection and orientation, In dry jet-spun yarns, a jump in modulus is observed, essentially independent of temperature, at temperatures greater than about 200°C. The final modulus level is a function of precursor modulus (or orientation), with tenacity remaining constant. A moderate increase in the structural perfections is also indicated by the density increase. alJASSAL& GHOSH: ARAMID FIBRES 297 3 Structure and Property The functional properties of aramid fibres, particularly the tensile properties, are related to the fibre structure at molecular level. The polymer chain spun Wet_spin Tenacity mo tie a0 Dry Jet-wet spun mo T6000 Temperature, ‘C 6 —Schematic diagram ofthe response of dey jet-wet spun conformation and rigidity, erystalline orientation and crystallinity are the key properties governing the final fibre properties. The physical properties” of some commercial aramids are shown in Table 3. 3 Fibre Structure When PPD-T solution are extruded throt spinneret and drawn through an air gap during fibre manufacture, the liquid crystalline domains can orient and align in flow direction.Thus, Kevlar can acquire a degree of alignment of long straight polymer cchains parallel 10 fibre axis. The extruded material also possesses a fibrillar structure. Kevlar fibre contains several levels of superimposed microscopic und macroscopic structures including the erystal lattice, pleated structure, fibrillar structure and skin- core structure, Studies by electron diffraction and the dark field transmission electron microscopy of PPD-T point to an unusual radial orientation of hydrogen bonded sheets and pleated structure”. The pleated structure has been observed both for Kevlar 29 and Kevlar 49, but absent in the product of highest modulus, Kevlar 149 (refs 28 & 29). The pleats are “Table Properties of some ara Fibre Characteristic Crystalline Loop strength ‘modulus gfden Gps Nomex re B Kevlar29 Regul 153 2 Kevlar49 High modulus 136 10s Kevlar 100 Coloured 156 109 Kevlar 119 High durability 156 ma evlar 129 High strength 156 Kevlar 149 trahigh modulus 156 62 Kevlar 981 ‘Twaron Regular 156 ‘Twaroa HM High modulus 156 Technora. Regular a1 Trevar V106 wo2 500) 98 Ekonol Veciran Arnos Modulas (Gpa)=gpd x density / 11.33 id Tibees Modulus’ Tensile Extension Relative LOL Gpa(epd) —sirensth —tobreak density GPacepay 17040) 065) Le 529 138 (1000) sas 21706550) 2.923) 41a 13135050) 2.903) 2B dS, 2.3 604475) oy 39 La 27 ss) 324) C8) SARS) 33S, 06 1B(LO) 23418) Laz 120 a5 : 791622) 3 La 123960) G2.) 70(570) 3307) 4300 1395 71657) 371k 106(820) (18.5) 24 LaT 1361100) 26 1d 91 (700) - aT 10-145 3 LAB BB20s INDIAN J. FIBRE TEXT, with adjacent components of mately equal but opposite angles pleat being at appro of 170 The fibrillar columns, which are aggregates of elongated, oriented liquid erystalline domains, Tie along the axial pleats (Fig.7). The surface inicrostructure observed by atomic -free microscopy” reveuls that_ many pleats are parallel to fibre axis direction, The polymer chain orientation angle obtained from azimuthal x-ray diffraction is about 2+ 20° for Kevlar 29 and < 12° for Kevlar 49.The experimental limits of procedure do not permit differentiation of Kevtar 149 even though very high modulus indicates further improvement in orientation. Kevlar also exhibits skin-core differentiation’ stated, in their chain end model of Structural defect, that the skin exhibits a more continuous structural in in fibre direction than the core, and the thickness of the skin is Tess than Tym Li ef al.” also reported the explicit skin-core Structure trom SEM (scanning electron mieroscopy and TEM (transmission microscopy) observations, At the surface. the polymer chains tend to be atranged less perfectly and the surfae ine structures can he influenced by several parameters such as fibre manutacturing conditions, post- treatment and absorhed water. PPD-T is. highly crystalline: crystallinity varies from 68% to 85% tir electron b515A ( Fig. 7~(a) Rally sera PPD-T fide pleated sheet structure in Kevlar $9 fi RES,, SEPTEMBER 2002 Kevlar 29 and from 76% to 95% for Kevlar 49, The extended polymer chains in the fibre-axis direction leads to stiff, rigid molecules that contribute high longitudinal modulus of elasticity. The aromatic ring as well as the conjugation of electrons give the ‘material high thermal stability, chemical stability and mechanical stiffness. The hydrogen bonds in the transverse direction and the covalent bonds in the fibre axis direction lead to a great_mechanical property anisotropy. ‘The Technora (HM-50) fibre also shows a high degree of orientation and some three-dimensional order, which is not as extensive as that observed in PPD-T. 32 Fibre Properties ‘Aramid fibres are characterized by medium to ultra- high strength, medium to low elongation and moderately high to ultra -high modulus with the densities for crystalline fibres ranging from 1.35 g/em* to 1.45 gicm’, Fibres of low orientation MPD-I (e.g. Nomex) have a density of 1.35 g/cm’, Fibres form PPD-T (e.g. Kevlar) have a density of ~ 1.45 g/cm’, Heat-resistant and flame-resistant aramid fibres contain a high proportion or meta-oriented phenylene s; whereas ultra-high strength high- modulus fibres contain mainly para-oriented phenylene rings. The meta-oriented polymers are considered to be chain-folding polymers. But small angle x-ray Fibrit — — — Ortered SSs tnt 2 —— 20h FE = itera tFibre xis} ==2|* ==e, » a :| === 75k i) S5= ——— =z t fe ites (by The unit cell of PPTA erystal (c) Fibrillar morphology ofJASSAL& GHOSH: ARAMID FIBRES diffraction studies of the rod-like para-oriented polymers show no evidence of chain folding. 32.1 Chemical Properties ‘The hydrophilicity of amide linkage leads to mois- ture absorption by all aramids, In addition to the chemical composition, the fibre structure also plays a critical role in determining the moisture absorption Different Kevlar products absorb moisture to different extent, The diffusion coefficient of skin follows: Kev- lar 149 > regular Kevlar > Kevlar 49 and the diffusion coefficient of core follows: regular Kevlar > Kevlar 49 > Kevlar 149 trend for penetrant concentration of less than 0.02 g/em*. Moisture uptake of regular Kevlar is similar to that of Kevlar 49 but Kevlar 149 uptakes moisture very less compared to other two. At 20°C and 55% RH, Kevlar 29 absorbs ~ 7% whereas Kevlar 149 absorbs ~ 1%. Water molecules are considered to be absorbed by the amide groups at the chain ends, intra fibrillar lattice deficits, and inner surfaces of the mi- crovoids to form small water clusters at low vapor pressure *, PPD-T fibres show very good chemical resistance to the attack of organic solvents and aqueous salt solutions. However, strong acids and bases do attack the fibre at elevated temperatures, causing hydrolysis of amide linkage and loss of strength. These fibres are more resistant to acids than Nylon 6, 6 fibres, but not as resistant as polyester fibres, except at elevated temperature. Resistance to strong bases is comparable to that of Nylon 6, 6 fibres. Aramid fibres are exceedingly difficult to dye by the conventional methods due to their very high 7. But using the recommended cationic dyes” and pyridine for solvent dyeing, deep shades and excellent light fasiness have been reported for Nomex and polyisophthalamides of both 4, 4°-diaminnodiphenyl- methane and 2, 2-bis(4-amino phenyl) propane. The aromatic nature of p-aramid is responsible for a substantial absorption of UV light, which, in turn, leads to a change of colour due to oxidative reactions as well as drop in fibre properties. 3.2.2 Thermal Properties Aramid fibres do not melt in the conventional sense because decomposition occurs _ simultaneously. is of poly (p-phenylene terephthalamide) fibre leads to products such as p-phenylenediamine, aniline and benzonitrile, indicating a homolytic cleavage of amide bond. The differential scanning calorimetry studies of PPD-T reveals moisture evolution of about 299 100°C, a second order transition at 360°C, followed by melting and chemical decomposition at 500- 575°C. Glass transition temperature (7) ranges from 250°C to > 400°C. Some aramid fibres such as Nomex shrink away from 2 high heat source or from flame. Aramid fibres characteristically burn only with difficulty because of high LOI produces a thick char that acts as The bond dissociation energies of C-C and C- bonds in the main chain are significantly higher in aromatic compounds than those in aliphatic ones. which give higher thermal stability t0 rials (Fig.8 & Fig.9). So, p-phenylene terephthalamide is stable up to 550°C. Excellent thermostability’ of poly (p -phenylene benzobisthiazote) is due to its fully aromatic character and highly rigid molecule. Introduction of flexible groups such as -O- into main chain (as in Technora) leads to more flexible chains and lower thermal stability. , thermal barrier, Tensile Strength ( gpd) Fig. S Tensile strength - modulss relations for igh performance bres Kevler 5 Tensile Strength (gpd) F 0 100200 300 tod 300660" Foo Temperature {"c) ‘9-—Tensile strength vs temperature of polyamide and aramid300 INDIANJ. FIBRE TEXT. RES., SEPTEMBER 2002 ‘The C-N bond of the amide group in poly (p- phenylene terephthalamide) has a double bond char- acter. The conjugation between the amide groups and the aromatic ring in p-aramids is responsible for the yellow colour and idity, which help into excellent retention of physical properties at ele- vated temperature. At 300°C, Kevlar retains about SOG of its strength of room temperature, while the modulus remains at 70% of this level. Excellent ori- entation of chain extended molecules in these high performance fibres results in an anisotropy of thermal expansion coetficient. Arumids have a slight negative longitudinal coefficient of thermal expansion of about (-2 to 4) % 1U°VK and a positive transverse expansion of 60 10K. Ity high crystallinity results in negligi- ble shrinkage both at high temperature in air (<0.1% at 177°C) and in hot water (<0.1% at 100°C), They also have a low thermal conductivity that varies by: about an order of magnitude in the longitudinal versus transverse direction, 3 Mechanical Proper Typical sttessstrain curve of Kevlar yarn as com pared to other industrial filament yarns is shown in Fig. 10, These curves show that Kevlar yarn has a break tenacity of 22 gpd, which is more than 5 times, tht of steel wire and twice that of nylon, polyester or glass fibre, Kevlar shows an unusually high initial modulus of 475 gpd, which is twice that of steel wire and fibreglass. As a spun fibre, Kevlar 29 has a modulus of 62 GPa, Hest treatment under tension in- creases crystalline orientation, The resulting Kevlar 29 fibre hay & modulus of 131 GPa, The outstandin strength of Kevlar ean be summarized as follows — Due to its aromatic snd amide group, — When the Kevlar is spun into fibres, the polymers have a erystilline arrangement, with the polymer chains oriented parallel to the tibre axis. This high crystallinity contributes significantly to its tunique strength and rigidity — Individual polymer strands of Kevlar are held together by H-bonds that form between the polar amide groups on adjacent chain, — The aromatic components of Kevlar pe have a radial (spoke-ike) orientation, which gives a high degree of symmetry and regularity to the internal structure of the fibres. This is confirmed by the bright synchrotonradistion (XANES image). 7 ike regularity is the largest conteibutin factor in the strength of Kevlar. Allen and Roche™ have introduced the concept of asymptotic modulus us hi mers Polyester ylon Tensile Strength (giden) ° i 7 Elongation ( %6) Fig. 10-—Mechanical properties of Kevlar compared to other in- dustrial fibres 30 Stress (an es") p> Aramid z Strain (9%) Fig. 11—Tensile compressive properties of aramids a measure of orientation and related it to the pleated morphology of the fibre. Kevlar fibres retain useful strength and modulus at elevated temperatures as high as 300°C. These fibres extrapolate to zero strength at about 640°C compared to 250°C for nylon. It does not undergo any embrittlementidegradation at temperature as low as 196°C. Kevlar behaves elastically in tension. When subjected to axial compression or severe bending, it shows non-linear plastic deformation, Fig. 11 show that the fibre exhibits a yield point at a compressive strain of This corresponds to formation of structural defects known as Kink bands (at 45-60" to the fibre axis). These bands are related to compressive buckling of the aramid molecules by molecular rotation of the amide carbon ~ nitrogen bond, whiJASSAL & GHOSH: ARAMID FIBRES 301 in turn, reflects weak lateral properties of these highly anisotroic materials”. This occurs by a transition from the normal extended trans configuration to a kinked cis-configuration. This results in a bend in the chain, which propagates across the unit cell and the microfibrils and finally results a kink band across the fibre. Therefore, the systems for structural application should be carefully designed to avoid compressive failure. On the other hand, ductile response rather than brittle response can be an advantage in end uses where non-brittle ductile response for damage ‘rance is important, as in advanced composites. In spite of the significant morphological changes, the fibre loses" only 10% of its tensile strength even after experiencing a compression strain of 3%. Fatigue behaviour of aramid is also dependent on the mode of fibre deformation (tension 1s. compression). With tension/tension fatigue, no failure is observed even at loads as high as 60% of breaking strength and 10” cycles. Tensile failure initiates at the fibril ends and propagates via shear failure between the fibrils. Skin-core gradient in the fibre causes uniform load sharing and hence reduces strength, However, the compressive fatigue of organic high- performance fibres is significantly worse. The retention of tensile strength decreases with increased compressive strain. At 0.5% strain, no strength loss i observed even after 10° cycles. while at 1%¢ strain, loss is observed within10* cycles, Poly (p-phenylene terephthalamide) fibre exhibits very low creep even at elevated temperature. At 50% of breaking load after 10° s, the creep strain for Kevlar is only 0.3%. The longer lifetime characteristics of high melting polymer are mainly attributed to high activation energy of primary bond breaking. Kevlar creeps under high stresses. Creep rate is almost uniform and the amount of creep strain increases linearly with lug (time) to break. Tenacity of p-aramid fibres depends on the moisture Content and is influenced by the following two factors: — Inter-molecular interactions which incr hydrogen bonds created by water molecules, and — A plastification effect. by These increase tenacity to some extent when the moisture content is increased, but with further rease in moisture content the tenacity will deerea se, 4 Applications . The initial motivation for development of hig performance fibres came from the aerospace industry seeking fibres for use in high- molecular weight, strong composite structural parts. But at present, the broad spectrum of aramid fibre applications can be divided into following two categories: © The use of aramid fabrics in apparel- related application, such as fire protective clothing and bullet proof vests. + Reinforcement application such as tyre cord or automotive components such as gaskets and clutch linings and advanced plastic composites used in aircraft and aerospace equipments, military vehicles, sports goods and many others. Aramid fibres have renewed interest in recent y partly because of their use in the construction of advanced composite materials ‘The meta-aramid (Nomex) has excellent thermal resistance, good textile properties but rather poor mechanical properties for high- performance fibre. Its applications include prot clothing, hot filters, industrial coated fabrics, felt serims. und reinforcement of rubberized belts and. inherent dielectric strength, mechanical toughness and thermal stability provide high usability and reliability. ‘The pant-aramid (Kevlar™) provides unique combinations of toughness, extra high tenacity and. modulus and exceptional thermal stability, Therfor the end uses of para-uramid cover a broad range of industrial, aerospace, military and civilian applications, which include cut. heat- and bulleviragment- resistant (ballistic) apparel, hard armors, brake and transmission friction parts, reinforced tyres and rubber goods, ropes and « various forms of composites filament wound presst industrial — gloves, circuit hoard reinforcements, ete. Kevlar 49 HS (High Strength), prepared by DuPont's New Fibre Technology. in 1997, is specifically imtended for fikument winding upplications and has a tensile strength 25¢ higher than that of the standard Kevlar 49. giving it a combination of high strength, low weight and good impact resistance. This will allow filament wound composite cylinders to be used for higher pressure rel ny hoses. Its vessels, duties, such us oxygen and industrial gas bottles, tank, rocket motor casings. electrical switch gear devices and off-shore” flexible pipes. Other copolymers containing combination of mets and para substituted monomers have been developed for optimum properties, While each application has its requirements, almost all of them istically utilize high strength, high modulus, charaetA INDIAN J. FIBRI high toughness, thermal and dimensional stability, lov ereep, and light weight ofthese fibres 4.1. Composites with Soft Materials . ‘This was one of the earliest applications of p- aaramids. The first use of these materials was in tyres due to their high modulus, high fatigue resistance and goud adhesion to rubber. The composites were ‘signed to provide good adhesion between the fibre and matrix coupled with axial strain below ~ 0.8% for durability and life of tyres. Kevlar has been used in tyres for more than 20 years; an early application was in cumferential belts for the first radial tyres used in formula one racing. It has also been used in the s of motor cycles and as a light weight bead core material replacing steel", Automotive products (belt and hose) and conveyor belts also require rubber reinforcement. In these applications, p-aramids not only offer better fatigue resistance but also lead to better wear properties and belt life. The forces on fibres in a radial tyre have been mathematically modelled by both DuPont and tyre manufacturers, These studies show that the fibres near the edge of the normal cut belt can undergo severe compressive cycling during cornering. Experiments have confirmed that the major mechanism of strength loss for aramid fibre in the belt of a tyre will be compressive fatigue unless special care is taken in the design, Fig.l shows the effect of repeated compressional loading on tensile strength of Kevlar, Here, the single filaments were subjected to repeated Compressive strains of 1%, 0.8 % and 0.5% and the residual strength was measured after different numbers of cycles. No strength loss was seen after several hundred thousand cycles at 0.5% strain, but at higher strain levels, the strength losses began to ‘appear at some threshold point and increased thereafter with continued cycling .Therfore, it was necessary to design a reinforcement system to keep Compressive strains under 0.5% in order to obtain the fatigue performance equired i in tyre and to compete with steel wire cords”, ‘Two approaches to acceptable fatigue performance were taken, The first was to optimize the cord structure design used in the belt. Tyre cords are normally made by twisting individual yams and Combining these yarns by further twisting into a cord. Compressive fatigue resistance is proportional to twist level. Cord tensile strength and modulus decrease with increased twist. Therefore, the cord was designed §,, SEPTEMBER 2002 with a twist level selected to achieve the best balance of tensile properties and fatigue resistance. Another approach was to redesign the belt to place more cord at the critical belt edge region, thereby reducing compressive stresses on the individual filaments. This was done by folding the bottom belt around the edge of top belt, which provides 50% more fibre in the critical region than in the normal cut belt. ‘The benefits from these design changes are such that, at a given twist level, the folded belt is superior to the normal cut belt and is proportional to twist level. These tests also show that satisfactory performance can be obtained at a one-to-five replacement ratio versus steel cord. 42 Advanced Composites Along with the high specific strength and stiffness, the weight reduction and impact damage tolerance are important factors in producing conventional aircraft structural component. Aramid- reinforced composites can absorb 2-4 times as much energy as carbon fibre material" “In the application of wound pressure vessel, p-aramids are mainly used. The performance measurement in this application involves burst pressure times volume of the vessel normalized for its weight (PV/W) and the fibre is exposed to stresses both parallel and normal to fibre axes. Aramid based products show. 25. 30% better performance than glass or carbon fibre". The fibre structure of p-aramids responsible for low compressive strength provides an inherent advantage over carbon fibre in damage tolerance and crash worthiness. This is related to its ductile compressive failure mode. The ductility of p- aramid is shown by the flexural stress-strain behaviour for unidirectional epoxy matrix composites and aluminium (Fig.12). The response to strain for Kevlar resembles that of aluminium because in bending, one side of the composite is in compression and yielding contributes to the metal -like behaviour. But the rigid coplanar ring structure of carbon fibre does not permit yielding and leads to brittle response. By combining Kevlar and carbon into a hybrid, better properties like, high energy absorption and good structural integrity after crushing can be obtained. Thus, the fibre structure responsible for low compressive strength of Kevlar can be used to get advantage in hybrid composite. systems. Hybrid composites of Kevlar and carbon are being used in commercial aircraft (e.g. Boeing 767) and helicopters (Sikorsky), In small business aircraft, an early advance into extensive use of composites in primaryJASSAL & GHOSH: ARAMID FIBRES 303 10°F Temperature 25°C swt % Keer pulp Te tpeny Equal cost tacie $3 Kevlar gu 92 ued tee ee ee tea rp ‘song gia tok | Broking eninge pomp Fig, 12—Viscosity vs shear rate for epoxy matrix composite structure is also occurring. The new aircrafts are being designed to take full advantage of composite properties and the ability to fabricate complex shapes with minimal need for rivets and fasteners to reduce weight and manufacturing costs. Foamed concrete reinforced with aramid fibre can be made as an effective soil sealant. Aramid is used in top layer of conerete to prevent it from cracking between beams. 4.3 Ropes and Cables High specific strength and specific modulus, lack of creep and outstanding dimensional stability allow aramid fibres for rope and cordage stronger and lighter than steel or other materials. Non-rusting mooring lines can be prepared from Kevlar 29, which is used in oil rigs to probe large depths because in air the specific strength of Kevlar is 7 times of steel, but in sea water it is more than 20 times of steel. Riser- tensioner lines are used on floating offshore oil drilling platforms. The purpose of the riser-tensioner line is to keep the riser pipe or outer drill casing at a constant elevation and under uniform tension while the vessel surges with the waves. Experimental studies had shown that the small diameter ropes of Kevlar made in low- twist stranded wire rope strcture can far surpass steel ropes in cycling performance over pulleys as the platform moves with waves. Electro-mechanical cables and fibre optics reinforced with Kevlar have been introduced successfully into telecommunication systems. In civi engineering constructions, namely bridges and roofs Kevlar is used in cables to maintain permanent compression of horizontal or inclined planar structure This technique enables homogeneous or contrasting materials such as bricks, concrete und composite panels to be held together tightly in modutes retained by prestressing cables. It may have ideal earthquake prone areas. 44 Protective Apparel Fabrics made up of Nomex, are used in protective clothings of firemen, for gus and electric utility operatives, for worker of petroleum fuel, etc, They ccan also be used in transports, in seats and mattresses in public and private sectors und heut-exposedt workplaces to protect people and products ayainst fire risks. Fireproof doors in hotels and theatres ean be made from them. Near Scotland, three offshore platforms in the North Sea were equipped with ‘Twaron- reinforced expansion panels for protection against explosion damage". The blends of Nomex and Kevlar ensure insulating protection of the material due to the very low shrinkage of Kevlar in flames. ‘The extraordinary mechanical properties of Kevlar result in excellent cut and puncture resistance. These properties combined with thermal characteristics are responsible for universal applicability of this material in protective gloves (from surgical to industrial uses in metal industry, glass industry and mewt processing plants)**, 4 recent development of DuPont is Kevlar industrial glove having olephobie moisture- repellent finish that keeps hand dry and clean throughout the working life oF glove. Gloves made of 100% Kev ‘ure twice as cut resistant as nylon gloves and four times safer than leather, In air bag preparation methods, irframe protector is made, which is a unique segmented air bag with a Kevlar shell to disperse impact loads to the sensitive spinal areas 5 Ballisties Ballistic protection is a class of protective clothing which protects an individual from bullets, steel fragments from hand held weapons and exploding ‘munitions It should stop the bullet from penetrating and absorb its kinetic energy by the work of deformation, Kevlar has long been used for this purpose due to its good dynamic energy absorption characteristics, high specific strength and modulus, and excellent thermal properties. High T, and thermal stability ensure integrity of the ballistic structure at relatively high temperature in the event of impact When a fibre is struck transversely by the high-speed304 INDIAN J, FIBRE TEXT. RES,, SEPTEMBER 2002 projectile, a longitudinal stress wavefront propagates tout atthe speed of sound inthe fibre. This speed is equal to the square root of the specific modulus. Kevlar’s high crystalline and oriented structure gives rise to high dynamic modulus which enhances the rate of wave propagation to 7700 amis, which is 3-4 times higher than that for nylon", It is this wave speed that determines the amount of material that can become involved inthe impact event, Thus parte aramid can involve 3-4 times the volume of material in interaction than nylon, resulting in a higher total energy absorbing capacity and energy of impact dissipating capacity”. Today, this protection is widely used by both civilian and military organizations around the world. Helmets and body armour used by pol or law enforcement officers should take care for bullet impact, assault with blunt instrument, fall from motoreyele and high speed erash during a chase, whereas that used by the military personals or persons of bomb squad should be concerned of the protection from fragmenting munitions, Soft armour is constructed from multiple layers of woven fabric without a resin binder, sewn together \with meander or erossevise seam. The layers are sewn together with high tenacity aramid sewing threads, Whereas the hard armor or composite laminate armor consists of multilayered fabrics combined together with a resin binder. Some of the applications in the form of hard composites include military helmets, spall liners and other fragment protection uses on vehicles and ships. A light weight armor was made out of Dyneema SK 60 or Spectra with Aramid which has multilayers of aramid positioned in front of matrix It can also be used as soft body armour"! Anti- ballistic panel can be prepared which consists of a laminated structure made of a core layer of foamed plastic material and the shield layer of aramid to protect a projectile passing through by absorbing the impact of projectile”, 46 Short Fibre Application By replacing asbestos, the aramid short fibres and pulp are finding growing applications with a large range of possibilities. Major applications include friction products (brakes & clutches), gaskets and thixotropes, and additives that improve wear resistance of thermoplastic composites. Kevlar pulp is a fibre product in the form of highly fibrillated particles with the average length of 0.8-5 mm, Different types of pulp differ in fibre length, particle size distribution and extent of fibrillation. ‘The end use application determines which of the short fibre forms is to be used. In brake pads and fining it is used by moulding a dry or wet mixture of pulp, filler and resin"™* .As gasket paper, i is used by draining an aqueous suspension of pulp, fillers and latex on a paper machine, and in compressed gaskets by calendering a mixture of pulp, fillers and solution of rubber in toluene. Due to its fibrillar structure, the aramid pulp creates a good mechanical bond with the surrounding matrix, hence transferring its high strength and high modulus of elasticity to the matrix. Introduction of Kevlar pulp into friction products in place of asbestos requires zeformation of mixes. In contrast to 50-60% of asbestos, less than 10% of Kevlar is added to the mix (Table 4). In general, friction products containing p-aramid pulp show stable frictional characteristic, high heat stability, reduced wear and 3-5 times longer life. Therefore, in avionics system it is used in wing leading and trailing edges, radomes, control surface edges, etc. In gaskets, Kevlar pulp is also a substitute for asbestos. The use of poly (4-methyl-1, 3-phenylene terephthalamide) for manufacture of self- extinguishing sheets for gaskets, electrical or thermal insulator had been sale by scientists from Mitsui Toatso Chemicals Inc”. They prepared a pulp containing poly (4-methyl-1, 3-phenylene terephthal- amide) and then processed the pulp at 250°C under pressure of 100 kg/em® to give a thermal shrinkage- resistant sheet with self-extinguishing properties. The sheet had tensile strength of 10 kg/cm’, They compared that pulp with poly (m-phenylene Table Examples of mixes with Kevlar pulp Material Composition % Friction product mix Dolomite filler (<200 mesh) 50 BaSO, 1s Cashew fiton pails? NC 126 resin# is Kevlar pulp 15 5 Gasket material Elastomer binder 1018 Curing agen, antioxidant, ec. 1 Kevlar pulp 0 ‘Structured silica 10 Tale 61-69 * 3M trademark cardoliteJASSAL & GHOSH: ARAMID FIBRES 305 isophthalamide); the latter showed a high shrinkage compared 10 poly (4-methyl-I, 3-phenylene terephthalamide). For friction products, less than 10% Kevlar is used instead of 85% asbestos in typical mixes. As shown in Table 4, both new mixing conditions and new filler had been identified for this development. Such composites yield gaskets with high tensile strength, creep resistance, compressibility and recovery equal to or better than those of asbestos. In many applications, the lower chloride content compared with that of asbestos isan important advantage. DuPont and Frenzelit™ prepared a material ior automotive gasket, which offers significant cost and ratio performance benefits over conventional muhtilayer steel gaskets. ‘The companies have combined the strength and durability of graphite and Kevlar fibre for development of soft, creep- and temperature- resistant ‘fibre-reinforced gaskets’. ‘The primary requirement in sealants and adhesion industry is for pseudo- plastic material. Kevlar pulp (at only 1.5% concentration) in epoxy resin leads to a vis- cosity of 4 x 10° cP (at 107s), while fumed silica (the traditional material used in this application) requires 4.9% addition to increase the viscosity to 0.3 x 10° cP(at 107/s). At high shear rate (103/s), the viscosity of both the formulations decreases to 1.4 x 10* cP and 2.5 x 10° cP respectively. A complete match of perform- ance between the two materials can be attained by de- creasing the pulp content to 0.3% with cost advantage. Another new application is the use of Kevlar pulp to make a wet laid nonwoven fabric in electronic circuit boards. This ceramic hybrid circuit board can be used in computer, and avionics because Kevlar makes the board lighter and thinner. It also provides for higher density circuitry for more components on board in less space because of its short run economies and reliability 47 Permsclective Use ‘Aramids are applied in hollow-fibre permeation separation membranes to purify sea water and brackish water. DuPont's m-aramid fibre ‘Nomex Delta Micro 43° can be applied in hot gas filtration application in the form of nonwoven. 48 Electrical Application Aramids have high volume resistivities and high dielectric strengths, which are retained at elevated temperature.Therfore, they have potential to be used as high temperature dielectrics, particularly in motors and transformers. Nomex paper, which is made of Nomex fibres interlocked with Nomex fibrids ic. shear-precipitated polymer, has twice the dielectric strength of high quality rag paper™ * Nomex papers are used as wire wrap, slot and phase insulation on motor generators and transformers, They are stable over wide moisture range, self-extinguishing, and compatible with varnishes and resins. Nomex is used in insulation in instrument panel transforms due to its good heat ince and excellent dielectric property. DuPont has : product, named ARACONTM, a metal clad aramid fibre, which is a conductive fibre for EMI shielding and signal wire; here, Kevlar’s microwave resistance lightweight and high strength properties are utilized. 49 Communication Fibre optics market and telecommunication are the fast growing recent markets of arumids. Kevlar and Twaron are used for reinforcement of delicate glass fibre system. Optical fibre cables are designed to maintain the integrity of data transmission through the optical fibre in the cable. Mechanical reinfore, given to cable to protect it against environmental and mechanical attacks, is made by a pultruded sod of ‘Twaron with epoxy resin as a control element and peripheral reinforcement in the form of filaments". It competes mainly with E-glass in this application, 4.10 Other Uses Aramid fibres are also. b reinforcing fibres in composites for leisure industry as sailing boat hulls and tennis rackets, for transport industry as airfreight containers to save weight, as radom (radar-transparent part), airducting and fairines in aircraft industry, and as moisture wicking fibre" used recently as 5 Conclusions The preparation and utilization of aramid fibre the important steps in the field of fibres for high- performance technical textiles and composites for aircraft, aerospace, marine, nd other industries. 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