New Fibers From Japan

The Journal of The Textile Institute
ISSN: 0040-5000 (Print) 1754-2340 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tjti20
New Fibers from Japan
K. Kajiwara , R. Nori & M. Okamoto
To cite this article: K. Kajiwara , R. Nori & M. Okamoto (2000) New Fibers from Japan, The
Journal of The Textile Institute, 91:3, 32-78, DOI: 10.1080/00405000008659541
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00405000008659541
Published online: 30 Mar 2009.
Submit your article to this journal
Article views: 168
View related articles
Citing articles: 5 View citing articles
Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at

http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=tjti20
Download by: [Visvesvaraya Technological University - VTu] Date: 22 April 2016, At: 02:43
K. Kajiwara*, R. Nori*, and M. Okamotot
* Faculty of Engineering and Design, Kyoto Institute of Technology. Kyoto,
Sakyo-ku. Matsugasaki 606-8585, Japan
^Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Shinshu University, Ueda,
Tokita, Nagano, Japan
Downloaded by [Visvesvaraya Technological University - VTu] at 02:43 22 April 2016
New fibers are categorized as: (1) high-performance fiber, (2) high-function fiber, and (3) high-
touch fiber. Products appearing in the Japanese market are introduced with the technical
background. High-performance fiber denotes fiber that possesses higher mechanical strength,
hetter heat resistance, better acid/alkali resistance, and hetter weather resistance than
conventional fibers. High-function fiher provides a «ipeeihe function required in a specific
environment or occasion, and high-touch fiber is represented hy shingosen.
1. I N T R O D U C T I O N
Since the commercialization of three major synthetic fibers; nylon in 1938, followed by
polyester and polyacrylonitrile in the 1950s, synthetic fibers developed consistently and
overtook the share of natural fibers even in the field of apparels and home furnishings in the
Japanese market in 1995. As summarized in Table I, many new polymers have been
synthesized for new fibers, but over 7 6 % of man-made fiber production is still maintained
by the three major synthetic fibers mentioned above (in Japan in 1997). The share of other
synthetic fibers is about 10%, and the rest (14%) is filled with cellulosic fibers. Synthetic
fibers were consumed mainly for apparels and home furnishings in the 1980s, but
applications have been extended to industrial use (Table II). Fiber consumption has been
almost equally divided between apparels/home furnishings and industrial use since 1995.
Fiber itself has a long tradition as the material for textile/clothing, and now fiber is
indispensable for advanced composite materials (ACMs) as the twenty-first century will be
the composite age. Fibrous materials have found many applications in the field of
aeronautical/astronautical engineering, transportation engineering, marine engineering,
civil engineering, and sports as termed generally tech-textile. Fig. I illustrates the wide
scope of advanced fiber application, and Table II indicates the present status o f t h e fibers
for industrial use with their problems that need to be solved in order to expand their
market.
In these 30 years, high-performance fibers, advanced composite materials, optical fiber,
and shingosen have been developed as high-tech fibers. High-tech fiber is defined as that
produced by high technology, and is conventionally classified into three categories of high-
performance fiber (super fiber), high-function fiber and high-touch fiber as shown sche-
matically in Fig. 2. High-performance fiber denotes fiber that possesses higher mechanical
strength, better heat resistance, better acid/alkali resistance, and better weather resistance
than conventional fibers. Especially high-performance fiber possessing the tenacity a n d
modulus higher than 20 g/denier (2.2 GPa) a n d 500 g/denier (55 GPa), respectively, is
referred to as super fiber. Commercially available super fibers in the Japanese market are
listed in Table III.
High-function fiber provides a specific function required in a specific environment or
occasion. Fiber .should possess a high tenacity a n d flexibility by having a length at least
32 J. Text. Inst., 2000, Part 3 © Textile Institute

Table 1
Molecular structure of polymers for fibrous materials
Polymer Molecular structure
IPolyolefin/vinyl polymers] -4— CH2 -CH2-)—
Polyethylene (PE) ^ 'n
Polytetrafluoroethylen (PTFE) CF7 -CF,
Potypropytene (PP) CH2-CH

CH3
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)

OH
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) -(-CH2-CH-)—
Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)
CN
Poly-4-methyl-l-pentene (P4M1P) -CH -

I
CH2
CH3 CH3
[Nylon/aliphatic polyamide]
Nylon 6
Nylon 66 NH - -NH-C-(CH2)4-C-
II II
o o
Nylon 46
[Aramid/aromatic polyamide]
Poly-ni-phenylene-Mo-phthalamide
(PMIA)
W ^ ^^ i! '«
Poly-p-phenylene lerephthalamide
(Kevlar; PPTA) NH
o o
Aramid copolymer (Technora)
PPTA
^^ o o
tPoIyester]
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) - O - (CH.), - O - C - ^ ^ > - C 4—
II ^ - ^ II ' n
o o
o
Polyethylene naphthalate (PEN)
P f^^V^C-O-(CH2):-o4-
-c-i^Jk-^ '"
Poly-e-caprolactonc 0-(CHi),-c4—
II ' n
O
J. Text. Inst.. 2000. Pan .? (P) 7V.\-(i7^ Institute 33

Kajiwara, Nori and Okamoto
Table I (continued)
[Polyarylate (aromatic polyester)]

Vcctran (X : Y « 7 : 3)
Econol
o o
[Olhcr heterocyclic polymer]

Poly-/j-phenylene beiiz-W.s-oxazole
(PBO)
Poly-/>-phenylene benz-ftw-thiazole
(PBZT)
Poly(benz imidazole) (PBI)
Poly(phenylcne stxlfide) (PPS)
CH,
Polysulfone (PSF)
CH3
Poly(ether suifone) (PES)
Poly(ether ether ketoneXPEEK)
CH?
[Polyimide]
Polyimide (P84; PI)
Poly(pyromellitic imide)
(Capton; PPI)
[Cellulose] H OH CHiOH
Cellulose!
YO V-/H 'n
CHiOH H OH
34 J. Te.xi. Inst.. 2000. Part 3 €) Texiiie Inslitute

Table I (continued)
[Amorphous polymer]
Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)
Polycarbonate (PC)
100 times its diameter as its basic function. Other functions are afforded by chemical/
physical processing and/or modifying polymer according to the requirements. Various
functions can be afforded, which are categorized as mechanical, physical, chemical, atid
biological functions. The mechanical functions include abrasion resistance and impact
strength. Non-transparency, heat insulation, soundproof, high absorbency and windbreak
are counted as physical functions. Chemical functions such as heat generation employ
chemical reaction and chemical affinity. Anti-bacteria activity and antiseptic activity belong
to the biological functions.
Shingosen is a typical example of high-touch fiber. Shingosen development from 1971
through 1976 focused on the hand and the silk yarn structure, resulting in four character-
istic types classified as: (I) peach skin, (2) new silky, (3) new spun, and (4) dry touch
{Okamoto and Kajiwara, 1997). Peach skin is represented by artificial suede-type leather,
and has a fluffy peach-skin appearance and soft touch with the microwave structure of
ultra-fine filament. New silky has silk-like characteristics with more voluminous hand and
drape ability and the dry scrooping feeling, where alkali weight reduction is applied to the
blended yarn of different shrinkage and non-circular cross-seclion. Wool-like character-
istics along with crispness and stifFness are afforded to new spun polyester fabrics by false
twisting after air-jet entanglement of yarns of different physical properties. Dry touch is
characterized by the rayon-like dry touch and heavy drape achieved by high-density
weaving and adding inorganic micro-particles to produce the dry-touch effect.
The following sections introduce new fibers that have appeared in the Japanese market
in three categories: (I) high-performance fiber, (2) high-function fiber, and (3) high-touch
fiber as classified above. Many new fibers cannot be uniquely classified in a single category,
and may possess multiple characteristics as realized below.
2. HIGH-PERFORMANCE FIBER ' . :

2.1 Three Classes of Super Fiber '
Since the technological target is clear, many super fibers were developed in these 20 years.
Fiber for industrial use should possess a high tensile strength as well as a good deformation
resistance as tbe most necessary property for composite enforcement. The breakthrough in
this area was the liquid crystalline spinning and the gel spinning, developed by Du Pont
(USA) and DSM (The Netherlands), respectively. Para-'drdmidfiber(Kevlar"), the most
sensational fiber since nylon, was developed from the accidental finding of a suitable solvent
for the heat-resistant aramid resin. This finding led to the innovation of liquid crystalline
spinning of rigid polymers. Gel spinning is applied to flexible polymers of high molecular
J. Text, liusl.. 2000. Purt 3 C> Textile Instilule 35

O "0 1
a
n
I S C O
L. R U
O
T3
a. u •a ;5b
3 •: °.
<~ 3 •? g S
c co S ge c
.c e .§
1= O - - u
S w c X w ^ ^ 2 X 2?
I... Ul
< <
— m
•c
*^ ii
1 I
o
"E.
Z Z
s
o.
a
ver
o
2 = 3 —
o
o
u
•n
p.
.2
o
6 <S 1 U
bit
o S
o 3
a
<
36 l/jsr., 2000, Part 3 © Textile Imtitute

S 2
aterproof Polyester, nylon
il
U
J-
u
E
ical-p atecl:ion Polyesle r, nyloti.
Polyp ropylene
V
I—
<•
U
o
>.
1..
a.
a.
>,
i r f i l [er fo fine Giass, p Q. ^
tn O
O —
O a.
TO
paniicies
OO - 3
<;
—
s
irfil [cr fo gas Active carbon fibe;
So
""
> ,u
"
oval c S o S
1
u
CO
Glass, polyimide.
00
'
,/. Text. Inst.. 2000, Part 3 0 Textile Institute

D-S
•i'l =
O
3
(phen
[i,
iter Organic resin
*5 o
•5
flj G
2 •<=
w
o
n
1 ao
puri
1
1
fiber. highly
crossi inked
polya!mide
!iCTOfilter Pclyeste
§O. 19
9 y
a o
poiyp ropylene.
nylon
U
o
o
o
•H
u
o
a
S
orgar Polyeste
8.
•ying polyp ropylene
§
Her
X
•3
Ji
o
UJ
CQ
lodejgrada Polylact one fiber val
o •a
c o
>
V4.H
u
uO
"o
(0
s
a
c
u.
iber Nylon, 1polyester.
1
u c fiber
Kajiwara. Nori and Okamoto
Functional Pnf*r
Wrapping Mawriala
Hlgh-FunMioWHiihPB5fonn»tice Polymer
Diaper
•nw-PUniini m D«>« Ryitroponu: Cuiiu™

Onan HouM Cultun, Air Condilioaing
Amfici*! Naun-Nttwork
Infarmatioii TKhnoloir
DiapUy, C u n e n
Anifidit O r ^ n i
i. 5 * l l - i o - F n i h WMCT Produnion
Sport* Eqinprnenl
Tiro Cord
Man-Mad* GBth>rlnr-Pla« foi Fuh

Saftcy Bell
FTUIU Protection Nsl
( Non-WovBn Fabric - Shoes. Bage
Sail Eoforunieat
Fig. 1 Scope of advanced Bber application
- High tenacity, high modulus, high impact strength

' Heat-resistance. fiBme-resistance
— High-Pcrfoimance Fiber Water>resistance, chemical resistance, acid resistance
possesses high-perfomiance charaeicristics • Light festness, weather-proof
intiHent to chemical/physical structure and ' Wear-resiatance, btigue-resistonce
molecular wei^l.
- Light transmission, light-responsive function

- Separaiioti/absorpti(Hi function
- ion exchange
High-Tech Fiber High-Function Fiber • - High water absorption
responds lo ihe exiemal stimuli (such as heat. - Conduction, insulation
ciecEricity, lighi, moisture, eic) ami changes - Electromagnetic wave shield, mdiation shield
its characteristics and/or size. - Light rellection, li^t absorption, heat regeneratitm
^ Self-adhesion
E
Hand
'— High-Touch Fiber Appearance
appeals the human seniie (such as touch, Luster
sight, etc.) through (he shape and structure
of fiber
Fig. 2 Three classes of new fibers
weight. A dilute solution of high molecular weight polyethylene forms gel, which is
extruded and drawn with a high ratio to align polyethylene molecules in an idea! structure.
Carbon fiber is an example of inorganic super fiber produced by sintering organic fiber.
Carbon fiber wasfirstdeveloped by carbonizing rayon in the 1950s. A breakthrough in the
carbon fiber production took place around 1959 in Japan by employing polyacrylonitrile or
38 / Text. Inst.. 2000. Part 3 © textile Institute

Table III
Commercially Available Super Fibers
Typical Fiber Commercial Name Manufacturer
Organic fiber Rigid polymer Aromatic Kevlar* Du Ponl

{liquid crystalline polyamide Twaron* Akzo
spinning) (aramid) Technora^ Teijin
Aromatic polyester Econol'^ Akzo
(polyarylate) Vectran* Kuraray
PBO Zylon* Toyobo
Fiexible polymer Polyethylene Spectra"^ Allied
(gel spinning) Dyneema " Toyobo

Inorganic fiber Carbon fiber Torayca " Toray
Besfight" Toho Rayon
Pyrofil® Mitsubishi Rayon
Ceramic Alumina fiber Altecs® Sumitomo Chem.
Nextel* 3M
FiberFP* Du Pont
Silicon carbide Nicalon " Nihon Carbon
Tyranno" Ube Inc.
Sylramic" Dow Coming
Metal fiber
pitch fiber as the starting material. As carbonization proceeds according to the scheme
shown in Fig. 3, graphite is formed. Following carbon fiber, continuous silicon carbide fiber
was developed from organosilicon polymer fiber. Those inorganic fibers possess an
extremely high temperature resistance, and are applied mainly to fiber-reinforced compo-
sites.
Super fibers in three classes will be described in some detail below,
2.2 Poly-/?-phenylene Benz-his-oxazole (PBO) Fiber (Zylon^)

Super fiber development was activated by the social demand for stronger and lighter
materials to replace metal. Super fibers are thus applied mostly for the industrial use as
ropes and nets in tbe fields of civil engineering, fisheries, etc. and as the components in
ACMs in the fields of sports/leisure, aeronautical/astronautical engineering, and transpor-
tation engineering. The main applications of super fibers are listed in Table iV, which
contains most ofthe commercially available super fibers. As mentioned above, super fiber is
defined as high-performance fiber that possesses a tenacity and modulus higher than 20 g/
denier and 500 g/denier. Typical tenacity and modulus of super fibers are listed in Table V,
where those of conventional fibers and theoretical values are also cited for comparison.
Even in super fibers the achievement is only 20% with regards to the theoretical tenacity.
It should be noted that the conventional tenacity denotes the weight (g) to break I denier
fiber. The SI unit for tenacity and modulus is given by GPa (= 1.0197 x 10^ kg/mm^),
which is related to g/denier as . ,
11.3
g/denier = xGPa
density{g/cm^
The tenacity required for apparel use is at most a few g/denier. For example, a conventiotial
nylon is 5 g/denier, while steel wire is 4 g/denier. However, the strength per cross-section is
given as 50 kg/mm" for nylon and 280 kg/mm" for steel wire because of the density
/ . Text. Inst., 2000, Part 3 © Textile Institute

PAN
CN CN CN CN CN pitch
oxidaHon
cTO88-1inkiDg reaction
cyclization reaction
de-Ditridrag reaction
over1500°C
-H2
Fig. 3 Carbonizaiion of polyacrylonitriJe and pilch
difference. In the strict sense (in terms of the SI unit), Zylon*' (PBO fiber) was the first
organic fiber stronger than steel, possessing the strength of 584 kg/mm'.
The development of PBO fiber started in the late 1970s from the Air Force Ordered
Polymers Research Program, where PBZT (see Table I) was first synthesized (Kummer,
1991; Ulrich, 1987). A series of poly-benzazole groups were patented in the 1980s {see Fig.
4) (Allen et ai., 1981,1985; Wolfe and Loo, 1980; Wolfe et al., 1985), although the tenacity
was around 2-3 GPa In the same order as para-ardmid. Poly-benzazole is prepared by
polycondensation in the polyphosphoric acid solution of monomers. PBO is obtained by
polycondensation of diamino-resorcinol and terephthalic acid as shown in Fig. 5. Air-gap
wet spinning is applied lo PBO, but the air-gap distance is about 10 times longer than that
(5- 10 mm) for PPTA because of the slow orientation relaxation of Ihe PBO molecular
chain (Odell et al., 1993). The PBO dope is iyotropic. The rigid PBO chains orient easily and
assume an almost extended conformation during spinning. Thus the PBO chain is oriented
over 0.95 (in terms of the orientation factor) in the microfibril of diameter 10-50 nm formed
during spinning (Radler et ai, 1994). The structure of as-spun PBO fiber is shown in Fig. 6
(Kitagawa et a!., 1998), where the a-axis is oriented in the radial direction of the fiber cross-
section. Voids are observed between microfibrils except the skin layer of about 0.2 ^m in
thickness.
40 J. Text. Inst., 2000. Part 3 © Textile Institute

Table IV
Main Applications of Super Fibers and their Characteristics
Main Characteristics Main Applications
Super fiber /lara-Aramid High tenacity, high Protection materials, belt

modulus, heat resistance for bicycle, ACM
Polyethylene High tenacity, high Fishing line, rope,
modulus, low moisture protection materials
content, lightweight
Carbon fiber High tenacity, high ACM, aeronautical/
modulus, high heat astronautical materials,
resistance sports items

PBO fiber High tenacity, high Heat-resistant felt,
modulus, high heat tension member,
resistance, high flame fireman's overall
resistance
Conventional fiber Nylon Tenacity, wear Tire cord, fishing net,
resistance, abrasion rope
resistance
Polyester Tenacity, modulus Tire cord, canvas,
sewing thread
Polyvinyl alcohol Modulus size stability Hose, fishing net, sewing
(Vinylon'') thread
Polypropylene Low density, run-proof, Rope, packing material,
chemical resistance cleaning cloth
Rayon Modulus, size stability Hose, tire cord, sewing
thread
As metitioned above, Zylon'^^ (commercial PBO fiber) possesses the highest tenacity and
modulus among organic fibers available today (see Table V), Its excellent heat resistance
and flame resistance are confirmed by the decomposition temperature and the limiting
oxygen index (LOI) as high as 650 C and 68, respectively, as demonstrated in Figures 7 and
8. Zylon* is commercially available as filament, chopped fiber, spun yam, and staple.
Although PBO exhibits excellent tensile strength and thermal characteristics, its
compressive strength as reinforcing material for ACM is unsatisfactorily low. The
compressive stress and strain of PBO were evaluated as 0.4 GPa and 0.15%, respectively,
by the 3-point bending test of a composite test bar, while those of carbon fiber were
evaluated as 2.1 GPa and 0,9%. respectively. The lack of lateral strength in PBO is
attributed to the weak intermolecular interaction, and much effort has been focused on
incorporating the effective intermolecular hydrogen bonds while keeping the rigid rod
backbone structure. Sikkema (1998) succeeded in synthesizing a new rigid polymer from
2,3,5,6-tetraaminopyridine and 2,6-dihydroxyterephthalic acid (PIPD, which is routinely
called M5), which has a rigid backbone and is physically cross-linked by hydrogen bonds
through neighboring hydroxyl groups. (See Fig. 9 for the molecular structure.) M5 fiber
possesses the tenacity of 4.0 GPa, the elongation modulus of 330 GPa, the compressive
stress of 1,0 GPa, and the compressive strain of 0.3%.
2.3 High-tenacity Polyethylene Fiber (Dyneema-*)

Although various methods were proposed to improve the tenacity of fibers produced from
flexible polymers, gel spinning is the only process applied industrially. Today high-tenacity
polyethylene fiber and high-tenacity polyvinyl alcohol fiber are produced commercially by
gel spinning. If polymer chains are fully extended without defect, such a fiber should possess
J, Text- hm., 2tmO, Part 3 (0 Textile Jn.stiiuic 41

r 1
O «-v u-i O OO O
3 '2
(N — — OO
c -a
II o o o o
o 00 o o
r-- —
•n -a
f:3 f n •^ O^ •^t
o o
.Ct — XI
5^9
w
•t E S
I
is S G
•a " S o
CO "T" U
< I" a ^ e O 3 X!
If I < 5 a « ii
C CLl C/3 Q . Z ) CL -a 8 -o u
Is 6 OJ fl W -2
J C O 3
*a M
O M
42 . 7(rxr In.u.. 2000. Part 3 © Textile Institute

cis-poly-(>*phenylenebenzobi$oxazole crana-pol y>p-pheny leoebenzobu imidazole

N
N
trans-poly-t^phenylenebcnzobisoxuole cts-poly-p-phenylenebenzobistmiduole
N
trans-poly-p-phenylenebenzobisthtuole poly (2.5-benzoxazole)
N
ff w-^' II
cts-poly-p-phenylencbenzobistbiuole poty (2,6-bcnzothiazole)
Fig. 4 Poly-benzazole family
the maximum tenacity calculated from the ideal crystal. The concept of gel spinning
(Lemstra ei al., 1987) is illustrated in Fig. 10. Here the idea stemmed from how to make
polyethylene fiber with extended chain without folding and amorphous defect. That is,
high-molecular weight polyethylene should be used in order to reduce the chain ends, and
the resulting fiber should be drawn at high ratio. Gel-like solution is prepared by dissolving
polyethylene in decalin or paraffin just above the overlapping concentration (eliminate the
defect due to entanglement), and is extruded through a nozzle to form gel-like fiber, which
can be drawn at a high ratio.
According to the original concept of gel spinning, the polymer concentration of the dope
HOOC
HjN
Diamino-resorcinol- HCl 2
PPA
"N
PBO
Fig. 5 PBO polymerization scheme
J. Text. Inst.. 2000. Part 3 © Textile Institute 43

microfibril microvoid
\ / surface
The i-uis of crystal ii radially
orienied in i fiber.
\
\
microfibril microvoid
PBO moteculej are highly
oriented in the microfibri].
(orientation factor > 0.95)
Fig. 6 Structure model of as-spun PBO fiber
should be low (0.5-1 wt%) in the range of the semi-dilute region. The molecular weight is
about 1,000.000. and polyethylene has no branching. Gel is extruded in water to quench,
and then drawn. The drawing rate should be kept as low as about 1 m/min in order to
achieve a high drawing ratio, so that the productivity and efficiency are not suitable for a
large-scale commercial production.
Industrial gel spinning employs a concentrated solution (over 10 wt%) of high-
molecular weight (about 4.000,0(K)) polyethylene, which is dry-spun with a high-speed
take-up {Yasuda et ai, 1991). The key to industrial gel spinning is the preparation of the
homogeneous polyethylene solution of high concentration. Since the concentrated solution
is highly viscoelastic due to chain entanglement, it exhibits a strong normal stress effect,
which prevents homogeneous dissolution by stirring. To avoid this effect, polyethylene
spherulites are separated from the homogeneous dilute solution by cooling. Then wet
spherulites are padded and dispersed in solvent with a high concentration. This two-step
dissolution allows homogeneously dispersed polyethylene solution of a high concentration
to be prepared where the chain entanglement is much reduced. The dispersed gel-like
44 J. Text. Inst., 2000. Part 3 © Textile Imtitute

70
ZYLON
•S 60
50
c PBI
PPS
O) 40
X
O 30
o> Polyester m-Aramid p-Aramid
_c 20
'^3
10
0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
Melting or Decomposition Temp. CO
Fig. 7 Limiting oxygen index and melting/decomposing temperature of organic fibers
solution is dry-spun at a few hundred m/min, and drawn directly just below the nozzle.
Ahhough a mechanism of fiber formation in the industrial gel spinning process is not yet
completely clear, the commercial product Dyneema'' (from Toyobo) achieved the tenacity
2.6-4.0 GPa.
Since polyethylene has a low density (0.97 g/cm^), Dyneema® is the lightest super fiber
available commercially. The elongation at break is relatively high at 3.7-4.0%, resulting in
the high wear resistance and high impact strength of Dyneema". Due to the flexibility of
polyethylene chain. Dyneema " has the highest knotting strength (14-23 g/denier), easy for
knitting and weaving. The light fastness and chemical resistance are also excellent, but the
melting temperature is low (around 150X). The creep characteristic is not particularly
good in comparison with other super fibers.
2.4 Inorganic Fiber

Inorganic super fibers include carbon fiber and ceramic fiber. Inorganic fiber possesses an
extremely high thermal stability, which organic fiber cannot cope with. Since most
inorganic fibers lack knotting strength, they are applied as reinforcing fiber for ACMs.
Carbon fiber is the most familiar inorganic super fiber and has been applied successfully
to many fields. For example, carbon fiber is used in aircraft, space shuttles, sailboats, tennis
rackets, etc. as carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP), and in the field of civil engineering
as tension ropes, carbon fiber reinforced concrete (CFRC) or the replacement of reinforce-
ment-steel rods. Carbonization proceeds as shown in Fig. 3. In general, the term carbon
fiber implies high-performance carbon fiber (HPCF) which is further divided into the high-
modulus type (HM) and the high-tenacity type (HT), the general purpose carbon fiber
(GPCF), the activated carbon fiber (ACF), and the fiame-resistant fiber. Carbon fiber is
produced by carbonizing organic fiber in two steps as schematically shown in Fig. 11. The
fiber structure is closely related to the mechanical characteristics of carbon fiber (see Fig.
12). Carbon fiber is basically composed of the piled sheet of aromatic planes. HPCF has a
fibril structure highly oriented in the fiber axis, whereas the sheets are randomly oriented in
GPCF. As a consequence the density of GPCF is lower (1.57-1.65 g/cm') than that of
HPCF (1.7-1.8 g/cm' for HT and 1.8-2.2 g/cm^ for HM). As carbon fiber has a low
elongation at break (0.8-2.0%), the tensile strength depends on the internal defect and
J. Te.xt, In.u.. 2000. Part 3 © Textile Institute 45

Kajiwara, Nori and Oktmioto
ZYLON -Aramid m-Aramid

ZYLON p-Aramid m-Aramid
Fig. 8 High-lempcrature abrasion lesl (lop) and flame-resistance test (bottom). Tbe abrasion test was
performed at 450X for 20 min wilh ihe load 300 g/cm* roialing al 300 rpm, and the flame-
resistance test according to JIS L1091. Plain fabrics of #20 spun yard were employed for the tests
voids. HT has a modulus around 230-300 GPa and a tenacity from 3 to 7 GPa. while the
modulus of HM is around 400 GPa for PAN-type and 500-800 GPa for pitch-type.
Continuous silicon carbide (SiC) fiber was developed in the niid-1970s by sintering
organosilicon polymer (PCS; polycarbosilane) (Yajima, 1985). PCS is composed of two
units represented by -((-CH3)2SiCH2-),,,- and -(-(CH_0HSiCH2-),,'. PCS is spun and is
cross-linked so as not to melt during sintering. Heat oxidation or electron irradiation is
46 / . Text. Inst.. 2000. Part 3 © Textile Institute

AKZ0M5
Fig. 9 Molecular structure of PIPD (M5)

} Drawing noi possible
Super-drBwing passible
Soiulion ;
OC { Drawing not possib

C/C—20-40
Super-drawing possible
Fig. 10 Concept of gel spinning
applied to cross-link PCS (M^ ^ 2000, r^, ss 500 K) in He atmosphere in order to control
the oxygen content in the product. The process is shown in Fig. 13. When sintering is
performed on electron-irradiated PCS in hydrogen atmosphere, pure SiC fiber (including
no oxygen, commercially available as Hl-Nicalon-S) is produced (Takeda ei al., 1996),
which shows no deterioration of the tensile strength even at 1800 K and has a modulus as
high as 420 GPa. Since PCS is conventionally cross-linked by heat oxidation, about 12 wt%
oxygen is contained in SiC fiber. Thus SiC fiber is composed of p-SiC microcrystallines
(about 2 nm in diameter) homogeneously dispersed in amorphous Si-C-O matrix. The size
of p-SiC microcrystalline increases with a decrease in the oxygen content in SiC fiber, and
pure SiC fiber is composed of densely packed p-SiC microcrystallines of 20 nm in diameter.
Sintering of amorphous SiC fiber at over 1800 K results in pure SiC fiber of high modulus.
Boron or aluminum is added as sintering promoter.
The characteristics of continuous ceramic fibers are summarized in Table VI. Those
ceramic fibers possess an excellent creep characteristic at high temperature (up to 2100 K),
and are applied to turbine blades and other components used at an elevated temperature as
continuous fiber reinforced ceramic composites (CFCC).
J. Text. Inst.. 2000. Part 3 :C;. Textile In.stilute 47

PAN, rayon Pitch
Spinning Carbonization
I
Organic fiber
Carbon fiber
HPCF-HT
Thermal stabilization
(oxidation) GPCF (carbon)
1
200-300T Graphitization
Stabilized fiber I
Graphite fiber
HPCF-HM
GPCF (graphite)
Fig. II Schematic process of carbon fiber production
(a) High-modulus fiber (b) High-tenacity fiber (c) Low-modulus fiber

(HM) (HT) (GP)
Fig. 12 Structure of carbon fiber of each grade
J. Text. Inst,. 2000. Part 3 © Textile Institute

SiC.O, 51C + SiO + CO
CH, CH, Curing SIC-based Ceramic Fiber

—CH, SI CH, SI—CHi . Thermal Oxldallon
H CH,
CHa H CHaH
PCS: -Sl-C-Sl-C-
H H CHs H
Irradiation •<
CHa H
I I I I I I
-c-si-c— -si-c-si- .; Ha .CH4

Free Radical lEvDlved Gasl
\Oxidation
CHa CHa
I I I
I I I
c - si-c— -c-ss-c-
i I
Si-C-Si- 0
• I I I I
H 0-c
I
Fig. 13 Preparation of silicon carbide fiber by organic/inorganic conversion (top), and cross-Unking of
PCS by eieclron irradialion (boltom)
3. HIGH-TOUCH FIBER ^ ' .

3.1 A Brief History of High-touch Fibers
A long-standing target in thefieldoffiber/textilehas been silk. An initial attempt to imitate
silk is represented by the industrial production of cellulosic man-made fiber (rayon) by
Chardonnet. Three major synthetic fibers (nylon, polyester and poly aery lonitrile) were also
developed as chemical imitations of natural fibers. Although many efforts have been made
to replace natural fibers totaiiy with synthetic fibers, the results were not completely
satisfactory, and both the natural and synthetic fibers are still used complementary as, for
example, the blended yarn of cotton and polyester for shirts. In the 1980s, much research
effort in Japan focused on the high-value-added products from polyester in order to cope
with the flood of polyester products from other parts of Asia. As a consequence the fiber/
textile technology was refined to its extremes by linking various processes from polymer to
dyeing/finishing in series under a unified concept. Polyester was a main target because of its
physical properties suited to imitating silk (e.g. high Young's modulus and a similar specific
gravity). New types of thin woven fabrics from polyester appeared on the market in late
1988, whicb possessed not only silk-like properties but also their own hand characteristics.
The characteristics of tbe new polyester-fiber fabrics are very distinct from those of
J, Text. Inst.. 2000. Part 3 © Textile Imtilute

Kajiwara, Nori ami Okamoto
O .,
SS „ o
— (N rj
CD A 2
cn U — (N — O I I
U — rs —
(J
u o
o
I
f^ (N — — — fi
50 . 7Vx/. /n.Ti., 2000. Part 3 xnVc Institute

conventional polyester-fiber fabrics, and the fabrics are recognized as new fabrics breaking
free from imitating natural-fiber fabrics. Those fabrics surpass silk or wool to some extent
with respect to hand, drape, and shape stability.
Two technical innovations can be considered as the key factors that ignited the
technological re-evaluation and recombination leading to the production of novel fabrics.
One is the ultra-fine polyester fiber of less than 0.6 denier and the other is the fiber
possessing a non-circular cross-section including a hollow.
An ultra-fme polyester fiber was the technological extension of the conjugate spinning
developed to produce a high-bulk polyester conjugate fiber for futon-mat tress stuffing. The
newly developed polyester conjugate fiber was more than 30% bulkier than the conven-
tional zigzag-type crimped polyester stuffing fiber, and it had been a best-selling product in
the 1960s. Tbe conjugate spinning was performed by conjugating two polyester fibers of
different shrinkage characteristics, and the crimp appeared by a subsequent drawing and
thermal treatment after spinning.
Conventional synthetic fiber has a cross-sectional diameter of about 50 îm. An ultra-fine
fiber is defined (not explicitly) as a fiber less than 0.7 denier. Although it depends on the
density of the fiber, the cross-sectional diameter of 0.5 denier polyester is about 4 [im. In
principle, ultra-fine fibers can be extruded by reducing the polymer output at the spinneret
and drawing with a large ratio. However, polyester for instance cannot be extruded at less
than about 0.15 g/min in practice, because the monofilament will break during the fiber-
forming process just after the extrusion. In order to overcome this problem, the extrusion of
conjugate fibers was extended by modifying the spinneret structure whereby a fiber cross-
section was designed to consist of highly dispersed (alternately arranged) conjugate
components. Here the conjugate spinning is assembled into multiple conjugate spinning
with multiple polymer flows in the specially designed spinneret prior to extrusion. There are
various types of multiple conjugate fibers available, which are classified into two classes
from the technical viewpoint: (i) the islands-in-a-sea type, in which the sea component is
removed by dissolving it in a solvent, and (ii) the separation or splitting type. In either case,
conventional processing (including drawing) can be applied to as-spun fiber, and micro-
fiberization was performed in the form of fabrics.
The surface tension tends to go round the fiber surface and produce a circular cross-
section, so that the idea of making a non-circular cross-section with a specially designed
spinneret (Holland, 1959a, b) had a strong impact on the fiber and textik industry. T-
shaped (preventing the glare observed in a triangle cross-section), pentamerous (a deep-
color effect), and hollow-square-shaped (resilient and light) cross-sections have since been
produced in Japan. The non-circular cross-section produces an unexpected effect on hand,
luster, and drape. A hollow fiber and a thin-and-thick fiber are considered as an extension
of non-circular cross-section.
The combination of ultra-fine fiber and non-circular cross-section technology produced
fabrics completely different from any existing fabrics. Those fabrics (mainly from polyester)
produced by the combination of ultra-fine (conjugate) fiber and non-circular cross-section
have changed the image of synthetic fiber, and obtained tbe social status (a high-touch
fiber) as a high-class fashion material. Here the elementary technologies were developed
from the 1950s to the 1980s, but the amalgamation of those existing technologies resulted in
a new class of fabrics. The elementary technologies were mainly developed for polyester
fiber and include: (i) the ultra-fine filament spinning technology, (ii) the spinning technol-
ogy of filaments with a non-circular cross-section, (iii) the combined-yarn-processing
technology of varying shrinkage, (iv) the combined-yarn-processing technology of varying
linear density, (v) the spinning technology with dispersed micro-particles, (vi) the polymer-
J, Te.xt, Inst.. 2000. Part 3 if: Textile Imlitute 51

Combination of Elemental Technologies for Specific Fabric Characteristics

[Elemetituy technolooy] |5lluClu>E shtpe] [FalMk: cftaiactntaOca)
i^lxed Diaments DHTerentlaf yamtengin Fulhan and

of dtfTervnl shrwikBQG Setf-expansion yam IntefWamsntal gaps
Mbed narmnu
Bl diftetent eompooenti
Mbied ttomonte
it QmCfcnt cfOflv-wcOoro UVni-lM Yam dHietsntal aoa- MMer absotbmcy
Mixed Mamente sectton*
31 dNônt dontere Thick n d t N n Dtrhranliil ikniwi
NilynHir mcdMcafon Copoiymetiiation LMtH

Pwfcle di«pcr»ed potrnwr OocpftiiWant oolor
Blandhg Iquld a y i t i l OfflMoiilal ototldlyr
thnnksge KMunl unevM

SpecW aphniie Utta-fna LHIn-fne •rv hand
Non-drculat crau-sednn Cnna-sectfon Cool
Con^wite spinning Confwnanl MTangcmant SK scrM>pii>g
SpadaldmAig UnovMi draiMng Dilhi'mwl giiohwfc Sol) touch

Scaly unevenness on sui Bartclty, roaMance
otdffBient ahrinkags
Yam precawing Fates twiatng Yain nnfig condBon

FUdpncanlng
Miciig Hamanb and «île» ShrMdng
MbAig n r t n l and ayi«ietic Loafiing
•lar
TuMkigfcovettng
TexOlte density Fabrtcitucture
SpMbig HamenU
Wettfn [vducton
Fig. 14 Technology elements lo produce specific fabric characteristics
modification technology, (vii) the weight-reduction technology, (viii) the napping technol-
ogy, (ix) the coniposite/combined-yam-processing technology, and (x) the heat-treatment
and chemical-processing technology. The combination of these technologies yields the
specific fabric characteristics as shown in Fig. 14. More details are reviewed in Allen et al.
(1985).
Wear comfort is a keyword for the recent development in high-touch fibers. Stretch
ability (elasticity), lightness and cool/dry touch seem to be the targets in high-touch fiber in
these three years. Polymer modification, yarn structure, hollow fiber/yarn, non-circular
cross-section, and micro-pores are the factors to be considered. Technologically those aims
can be achieved by the combination of conjugate spinning and specially designed nozzles.
Fig. 15 demonstrates the principle of conjugate spinning and the specially designed nozzles
for hollow fibers.
Water absorbency can be afforded to hydrophobic polyester by the capillary effect of
micro-pores and/or slits along/between filaments as shown in Fig. 16. A porous hollow fiber
Welky" (Teijin) absorbs sweat through micro-pores into a hollow and sweat diffuses
through a hollow. Sweat then evaporates through micro-pores as shown in Fig. 16.
A good elasticity can be afforded to a polyester yarn by a spring-like structure produced
by thermal treatment of conjugate fiber of two different thermal characteristics. Z-10" (Fig.
17) was the first product of polyester-stretch yam with a hollow yam structure.
The following are some examples, which appeared in the Japanese market in 1999-2000.
52 J. Text. Inst.. 20m, Part 3 © Textile Institute

core (island component)

sheath (sea component) separation " fusioti
A B
nozzle
fusion
extrude as a single
filament A BA B
Cross section of "WRAMP" yarn
nozzle
shape
o
ooo
o o O
o
filament
cross-section + 1o es
Fig. 15 The principle of conjugate spinning and the specially designed nozzles for hoUow fibers
J. Text. Im-i., 2000. Part 3 © Textile Institute 53

Sweat
Welky®
(Hallow fibar
^ hsorbing sweat
(Capillary effect)
Siep.1
DifRision
(Hollow inside)
Porous hollow polyester fiber
Welky® (Teijin) Step 4
••»—, livaporaiion
(Towards
Zl,*! U^ a low-pressure side
Welky® (Teijin)
Tcchoofine®
(Asahi Chcmica!)
SpacetnasicnB (Kimray)
Kilarto® (Kanebo)
Aege® (Mimibiahi Raytm)
Coolmax® (Du PMU)
Fig. 16 Cross-sectJonal view of water absorbent polyester fiber. Porous hollow polyester fiber Welky " is
shown on lop with its sweat-absorbJng mechanistn
3.2 Asahi Chemical Industries

Lamous^
Lamous* is a thin suede-type non-woven fabric of ultra-fine polyester (0.1 denier)
produced by a new process. By fishing short-cut ultra-fine polyester fiber with scrim,
non-woven polyester layers are formed on both sides of scrim. Polyester fibers are densely
entangled by applying pressure water, and then impregnated with a small amount (5-6%)
of polyurethane. The resulting sheet (see Fig. 18) is elastic, and has a soft hand and a good
./. Te\i. /nst,. 2000, Part 3 'X'j Textile Institute

Before heat-treatment
After heat-treatment
Fig. 17 Polyesler-stretch yarn Z-10^ (Unitika)
drapability. Because of scrim the size stability is good, and Lamous* has been applied to
home furnishing (Fig. 19) as well as apparels (jackets and coats).
Technofine^K Sheebe^, Noche^, Gulk^' (Fig. 20)

Polyester fiber wilh W-shaped or L-shaped cross-section produces a capillary effect when
made into fabric. Non-circular cross-section also affords crispness to the fabric, and reduces
the contact area to the skin. Because of this shape, Technofine" andSheebe*^ (Fig. 18) have
•d good bending resilience, fresh hand, and mild luster. Water (sweat) is absorbed quickly
through the capillary and transported to the surface as demonstrated in Fig. 21.
Hollow fibers Noche" and Gulk* (a hollow ratio of 20-30%) have a triangular cross-
section, so that the hollow part will not be easily crashed during later processing. As
Technofme^' and Sheebe'*, the fabric made of Noche " and Gulk " has a crispness and is
light.
Conventional polyester fiber is made of poly(ethylene terephthalate), which is a polyeon-

densate (2GT) of ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. When ethylene glycol is replaced
with 1.4-butanediol (tetramethylene glycol). the resulting polymer paly(buthyiene ter-
ephthalate) (4GT) has a lower modulus and is elastic because of a longer methylene
chain. Poly(buthylene terephthalate) fiber is commercially available as an elastic fiber
(Rexe", Teijin). Recently poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (3GT) fiber was developed and
J. Text. In.st.. 2000, Part 3 r> Textile Institute 55

ALS
Asahi Chemical
Fig. 18 Sectional view of Lamous " (Asahi Chemical)
is now available as Solo~^ in the Japanese market. 3GT is produced by polycondensation of

1,3-propanediol (PDO) and terephthalic acid. PDO is produced chemically from ethylene
oxide or biologically from com. As expected. 3GT fiber has an intermediate modulus
between 2GT and 4GT. and thus the 3GT fabric exhibits a good elastic recovery with soft
hand. Three polyester fibers are compared in Table VII.
56 J. Text. Inst., 2000, Part 3 © Texiiie Institute

Fig. 19 Sofa covered by Lamous"
3.3 Kanebo Textiles
Polyester fiber Kilatt""' has a C-shaped cross-sectioti (Fig. 22), which functions as a hollow.
Kilatt" has all the merits of hollow fiber being light and water absorbent. Since the hollow
emerges at the dyeing process after fabrication, the hollow will not be crashed by false-
twisting as occurs in the conventional hollow fiber.
, Nacre'^
Random conjugate spinning and partial dissolution (Fig. 23) produce thick/thin polyester
fiber {less than 0.1 denier to 2-3 denier) of random-shaped cross-sections with sharp edges.
Here the polymer flow rate of two components is randomly varied at spinning. The fabric
has a natural hand and dry touch.
3.4 Kuraray
Sophrina Shal" is artificial leather produced from the non-woven fabric coated with
polyurethatie. The non-woven fabric is composed of specially spun conjugate fiber, shown
in Fig. 24. When two types of polymers with a different solubility are dissolved in a common
solvent and are spun, a conjugate fiber of the islands-in-a-sea type is formed, where two
polymers compose the islands and sea components, respectively. The bundle of microfibrils
will be obtained by removing the sea component, or the multi-hollow fiber (the lotus root
type) will result by dissolving the island components. These fibers with specific shapes are
non-woven for the basic fabric of artificial leather (Fig. 24).
J. Text. Insl.. 2000. Part 3 © Textile Institute 57

Fig. 20 Technofine'^ (.top-left), Sheebe" (.top-righl), Noche" tboliom-leli), Gulk " (boiiom-nghij
3.5 Mitsubishi Rayon
Pharaoh^
Using a fast coagulation of the solution spinning, acrylic fiber with a Y-shaped cross-
section was deveJoped (Fig. 25). The Y-shaped fin consists of three flat fibers, and it is easily
split at the tip after the finishing. In consequence, the fiber root is coarse, resilient and bulky
while the tip is fine, flexible, and soft. The effect is similar to a natural fur.
58 J. Text. Insl.. 2(K)0. Part 3 (Q TexCile Insiiiuie

Sheebe®-made fabric ! Water-absorbent nylon

Sheebe®-niade fabric j Water-absorbent nylon
Fig. 21 Water diffusion in the fabric
Table VII
Polyester Fiber
Poly(ethylene Poly(lrimethylene Poly(butylene Nylon 66

terephthalate) terephthalate) terephthalate)
2GT (PET) 3GT (PTT) 4GT (PBT)
Monomers Ethylene glycol 1,3-Propanediol 1,4-Butanediol Hexamethylene diamine

Terephthaiic acid Terephthaiic acid Terephthaiic acid Adipic acid
Tenacity 4.2-5.2 g/denier 3.8-4.2 g/denier 1 g/denier 4.7-5.1 g/denier
Elongation 30-38% 36-42% 650% 32-44%
Modulus 110 g/denier 26 g/denier 35 g/denier
Elongation 29% -, 88% 62%
recovery-20% I
Density 1.38 g/cm^ 1.34 g/cm^ - ^- 1.14 g/cm-'
Water content 0.4% 0.4% 4.5%
Melting point 254C 230C 253C
3.6 Toyobo
Calouge^ . ... -
Polyester fabric is not suitable for autumn/winter clothes because of its cool touch and poor
heat insulation. Polyester hollow fiber supplements the cool touch of polyester fabric by an
air layer trapped in the hollow. Calouge " (Fig. 26) is a hollow fiber (a hollow ratio of 20%),
and Winterthur" is a conjugate fabric of Calouge" and ultra-fine polyester fiber (less than
0.5 denier), developed for men's/ladies' bottoms in autumn and winter.
,/. Text. Inst.. 2000. Part 3 (f) Textile Institute

Fig. 22 C-shaped cross-section of Kilatt*
Cohrfine'^
The characteristic triangular cross-section of cation-dyeable Colorfine'^ promotes the
capillary effect to ensure a quick dry.
3.7 Toray
SiUook y
Sillook Airy^^ (Fig. 27) is a hollow polyester fiber (Karst air hole structure) with a refined
non-circular cross-section. A sharp edge produces an effect of silk-like luster, and the non-
circular cross-section maintains a silky resilient feel. Yet the fiber is light and has good heat
insulation potential. The fiber surface is provided with a lateral micro slit. When woven, the
fabric is crisp and has a dry touch due to the characteristic shape of the cross-section
promoting the capillary effect.
3.8 TeijiD
Aerocapsiile^
Aerocapsule'^ (Fig. 28) has the highest hollow ratio (35-40%) among the polyester hollow
fibers. The tube thickness is calculated as 4.4 |.tm for 3 denier Aerocapsule^ filament, which
corresponds to 0.19 denier polyester filament of a circular cross-^section. Since the apparent
diameter is aboui 60% larger tban the corresponding fiber with the same weight, the fabric
of the same density will have a larger covering factor to reduce the air and light
transmission.
60 J. Text. Inst.. 2000. Part 3 © Textile Institute

Fig. 23 Random conjugate fiber Treview*
Esuviron^. Cortigo^, Bulcotty®, Cesameine® (Fig. 29) • , .

The polyester stretch yarn Esuviron^ has a spiral crimp structure as Z-IO^, which acts as a
spring. Cortigo" is a spun-like yarn composed of the random assembly of rough surface
filaments, which provides quick sweat absorption and quick dry. Bulcotty^ is a conjugate
yarn with spiraled hollow fiber for good heat insulation. Cesameine" is a wedge-shaped
ultra-fine polyester (0.05-0.07 denier) with a rough surface to provide an elegant luster and
dry touch.
3.9Unitika " •
Z-W (Figures 17 and 30)
Z-10^ was the first stretch polyester with a spring-like yam structure. The conjugate yarn
composed of polyesters with different thermal characteristic crimps into a spiral by heat
treatment, und the spiral yarn structure affords elasticity. Because of stretch ability, the Z-
10" fabric has a characteristic hand of resilience and crispness. Similar polyester stretch
fibers are available from other companies.
,/, Text. Inst., 2000. Part 3 © Textile Institute 61

Fiber Formation and ils ContiguTatinn

Polymer A Polymer B
TJ- Spinning
t
Windina
*
Drawing
(Then n u-sctling)
pjfjj^ B Comptmcnt
A CotDpDncnt
Remove B Compoacnt Remove A Compcoeiu
I I
2.ak 0030 2
Multj-tiollnw fibci (lotus root lypc) Ultn-finc fiber {Micro-fibril type)
Fig. 24 Specially shaped fiber for artificial leather (left), and the cross-sectional view of SophrinH Shall'^
(rightj
Microart'^
Microart® is a new nylon fiber with a characteristic cross-section. The hollow ratio is as
high as 35%, but the filament has a good resilience. Since the filament surface has a tip of
the order of a micron, the fabric surface structure resembles that of a lotus leaf and has
water repellency besides the dry touch, characteristic luster, and heat-insulation effect (Fig.
31).
The idea to apply the lotus leaf structure for the vapor-permeable water-repellent fabric
was first adopted to the ultra-fine polyester high-density woven fabric with uneven surface
by micro crimp. Microft/Reetas'^, by Teijin.
4. HIGH-FUNCTION FIBER
4.1 Specific Functions Afforded to Fiber
Recently in Japan, a class of fibers was developed with a specific function as a high-function
fiber. Various functions can be afforded, which are categorized as the mechanical, physical,
chemical and biological functions as schematically shown in Fig. 32. Abrasion resistance
and impact strength represent the mechanical functions. Non-transparency, heat-insula-
tion, soundproof, high absorbency and windbreak are counted as physical functions. The
chemical functions such as heat generation employ chemical reaction and chemical afiinlty.
Anti-bacteria activity and antiseptic activity belong to the biological functions.
The examples of high-function fiber are well illustrated in the sports area (Kajiwara and
Miyamoto, 1999). Sports require various functions for the wear as exemplified in Fig. 33.
62 / . Text. Inst.. 2000. Part 3 © Textile Tnstitute

• CROSS-SECTION
• PHARAOH Tip-split Super Flat Fiber
Funcle Super Flat Fiber V-17 Regular Type
Cross-section of "PHARAOH"
Fig. 25 Y-shaped cross-section of Pharaoh® with its split top
J. Text. Imt.. 2000. Part 3 C^ Textile Institute 63

Fig. 26 Cross-sectional view of Esuviron"-
Sportswear should possess not only the mechanical strength for safety and durahility, but
also various functions for better physical performance including the comfortable in-cloth
environment. Materials for sportswear should be impact-resistant, heat-resistant and/or
abrasion-resistant. Sportswear should permeate/absorb sweat quickly, keep a body warm/
cool, and/or repel rain.
The development of a swimming costume will illustrate the concept of function fibers. Of
the total resistance while swimming 5% is due to the swimming costume. For instance, the
64 J. Te.xt. Inst.. 2000. Part 3 © Textile Institute

Fig. 27 Cross-sectional view of SiUook Airy^
Fig. 28 Calouge* and Colorfine®
J. Text. Insl., 2000. Part 3 ^, Textile Institute 65

Fig. 29 Esuviron^ (top-left), Cortigo* (top-right). Bulcotty" (boitotn-left), and Cesameine" (bottom-
right)
Cross-section
DA-SD
C-SD
Side View
Before heal-treaiment
After Keat-treatmeni
Fig. 30 Z-10^ spiral crimp by heat treatment, and a blouse made of Z-10*
J. Text. Inst.. 2000. Pan 3 © Texiile Institute

Fig. 31 Microart*. Cross-sectional view of filatnent and fabrics (top-left), and a coat made of Microarl*
(top-right). The mechanism of water repellency is shown at the bottom
resistanceexertedon the body by water accounts for about lOkg/m" when one swims 100 m
in 50 s. The friction against water will be less without a swimming costume, but water hits
the body to deform. As a consequence, one ean swim faster with a swimming costume
suppressing the beating effect of a soft body. A swimming costume for competition should
fit the body without any air space, and its surface should be smooth. Thus polyurethane
elastic fiber will be the best material for a swimming costume for competition. Two-way
tricot is in general the basic fabric structure for a swimming costume. The next step is how

e.g. Wear-resistance, impact strength e.g. Water absorbcncy, oil absorbency,
moisl-kecp, danip-proof
Mechanical Characterisiics Chemical CharacteriKtics

(size, shape, tenacity) (chemical affinity, chemical change,^
chemical reaction)
Function Fiber
Physical Characteristics Biological Characteristics

(light, heat, sound, pressure (bio-reaclion, life activity,
conduction)
e.g. Heal-insulation, soundproof, windbreak,
clcctroinagnetic wave shielding
Fig. 32 Four classes of high-function fiber
t;^ swww,
\ snowboard wear, Tennis shirts. voHeybatl shirtsTN.
\ bassball unHorms football slurb, niflby shirts. \ .
/ \ golf stiirts and sladis. N
/ \ ^ ^ - —-^..,__^ baseball unilorms. \
/ __, . j""^-^"ilatlcsshirtsindshorts.\
/ rubdrybiB. ^%^ track uilt^
X \ mMwWt »MtôrIHna \ ^
\
/ SwImwBir, / \ ^
/ feolards. / Strrtct. mtirlats > r n * * * ^ " \
/ skallno / X \ toMrKlon \
/ costumss / ^ - ^ / \ Strono Swdt-atrsorUno \ / \ \
/ NretlsUncc and iKt-drylno / \ \ \
/ / \ / ElKBcBy \LhMt / \ .. . \ \
/ / / \ UMfWlX \
/ s«B-ihrouoh / \ ^ "rC!!!""! / \ nfladiiv \ \
/ pmanllon / -'^ lo awcuon / \ wnMght \
/ CooHng \
' apKtty ^ \ \
, Low water resMnca / \ . Vapor ponMaUHr i Vapor

Swtntniino race \ V Lo«ralrieilttHK« X \ ^ Wiltrproalina / p«rnwW«
COUHIIWS. Skating ^'^ \ / X / «l / I
\costumn. \ ;^£^\ /
\ lid lamp costume^ ^ \ / ™**/ Skhmar, /
\ dOwnhlM sUing \ mndlireriters. /
\ costumes, \
\ / / rainwear /
\ cydino ccstunwsX
/
V Sundghi ibstHtwq /
\ / X > n d actaimtitillng nuledali KeeiNng warmth matodilB v ' \
/
r
SWwMf, windt - e ^ r s , (rach stAs
Propertiess required of sportswear f{*rics, types of corresponding materials, and maior sports in which
they are used
Fig. 33 High-function fibers with the specific function required for various sports
I Texi. hw.. 2000. Part 3 (C..- Textile Institute

Crost-itctioiwl projedioo
Cenv«nii<ma]
(Smaothneu
AqtupiootB
AqimspccktS
Aquaqwclct)
LyoipecM
f Watn-nipetlHit prini
LyotpeckS
Nylon Polyurethane fiber CompariEon of the fricltcMul resistance of
Enlarged crosG-sectionsi projection of waicr of Ihe swimmitig uoslunie maierials
swimming coslumc matciial far (Note: The fiicuonal resistance of water
compel Uion for an ideal body is 0 %.)
Fig. 34 Low-water-friction materials
to make its surface smooth (Niwa, 1996). If the fabric is coated to make its surface smooth,
water trapped between the body and the costume would remain to increase the water
resistance. Thus ultra-fine nylon (4) = 8.5 |im) and polyurethane fiber were knitted into the
high-density fabric Aquapion" (Toray/Mizuno, employed at the Seoul Olympics, 1988)
with a relatively smooth surface (Fig. 34). The swimming costume made of Aquapion " has
a double stretch ability, a better water draining and a smoother surface (about a half
unevenness) than a conventional material, reducing the water-frictional resistance about
10% at a fiow rate of 1.8 m/s.
Aquaspeck" (Toray/Mizuno), developed for the Barcelona Olympics, is a high-density
knitted fabric of ultra-fine polyester and polyurethane, which has an even smoother surface
(50% better than Aquapion") and reduces the water-frictional resistance about 5%.
Water-repellent coating agent is printed on Lyospeck" (developed for the Atlanta
Olympics), which reduces the water-frictional resistance a further 8%. Water should fiow
smoothly at the surface of the swimming costume. Fish secretes viscous liquid to reduce the
fictional resistance, and the dimples on the surface (like golf balls) smooth the water flow at
the surface. A fabric with dimples and coated hydrogel was developed for the swimming
costume for the Sydney Olympics. A similar principle to achieve a low frictional resistance
can be applied to the fabrics for skate and ski costumes.
A fashionable swimming costume requires a coior variation and non-transparency.
Especially a white swimming costume has a problem of becoming see-through when wet.
Bodyshell" (Toray) has a star-shaped core containing non-transparent white pigments,
which scatter incident light in random directions to prevent transparency. On the contrary,
the transparency effect will be promoted by arranging filaments with square-shaped cross-
section in parallel. See Fig. 35.
Specific functions will be afforded to the fabrics by chemical modification of original
polymers, filament/fabric structure and/or addition of active agents. The following
examples will illustrate the recent trend in developing high-function fibers in Japan.
4.2 Asahi Chemical Industries , . ,

Shidenkai^ ,. /, .
As various electronic equipment such as mobile phones and personal computers spread,
J. Text. Inst.. 2000. Part 3 © Textile Institute

Convex square cross-section

Enlarged cross-sectional view
Scanning cloctron micrograph of côs^-secîons of raw yarn used in Bodysholl

Fig. 35 Non-transparency (top: Miracosmo II'^) and transparency effect (bottom: Bodyshell*)
abundant electromagnetic wave radiation may induce many problems Including the
malfunction of the electronic equipment and human health problems. The radiated
electromagnetic waves vary in frequency from 1 to 3000 MHz. Shidenkai" is a cross-
woven fabric of polyester and conductive nylon yarns. Silver-plated conductive fiber is
coated with non-conductive nylon in order to prevent metal allergy and electric shock, and
the pitch of conjugation determines the shield level. Shidenkai^ is capable of shielding over
70 J. Text. Inst.. 2000. Part 3 © TextHe Institute

Core: Polyester
Sheath: Modified polyester

(low-melting temperature)
Melt-fijsed fabric
Fig. 36 Structure of Bellcouple®
Before dissolving PVA After dissolving PVA
Fig. 37 Wool/PVA conjugate yarn
97% of electromagnetic waves in the high-frequency range covering most of the radiated
electromagnetic waves from personal computers, mobile phones, TV, and radios. Because
of silver ion. Shidenkai'- also suppresses the bacteria growth against yellow staphylococcus
and pneumococcus.
' 'i , ,
4.3 Kanebo
Belkouple^'
Bellcouple '•' is a conjugate fiber with a sheath-and-core structure, where the sheath and core
are composed of either pair of low-meiting temperature polyester and regular polyester
(Bellcouple"), regular polyester and low-melting temperature polyester (Bellcoupleot**^), or
regular nylon and regular polyester (BellcoupleNP^). Bellcouple" can be melt-fused (Fig.
36), and Bellcouplea'"^ has high shape stability after thermo-setting.

XI000 XI000
Original fiiamem of Kuralon® K-II FibrillaUon of Kuraion® K-II after 15

niin. kneading with rubber
Fig. 38 Micro-fibrillation in rubber
Fig. 39 Cross-sectional view of ShineupEX ". The sheath contains photocatalytic ceramics
72 J. Text. Tnst.. 2(X)0. Part 3 © Textile Institute

Before drawing After drawing

l/TTl
Fig. 40 Surface of hollow fiber membrane, and the schematic mechanism of micro-pore formation
Lactron® '' - - ..
Biodegradable polymer polylactic acid can be melt-spun into synthetic fiber, which
possesses similar tensile strength {4.5-5.5 g/denier) as polyester fiber. Kanebo commercia-
lized polylactic acid fiber Lactron". See Teramac^' (Unitika) for more technical details.
4.4 Kuraray
Kuralon'^ K-II
Utilizing the gel spinning technology, where organic solvent and non-solvent are used for
gel formation and coagulation, a new process for polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber was
developed. Three types of Kuralon " K-II are commercialized, where the water-soluble type
(a high degree of saponification), the high-tenacity type (a high drawing) and the fibril type
(the conjugate of PVA with different degrees of saponification) are available on the market.
Since the solvent is extracted from the cooled gel fiber, a new process produces homo-
geneous fiber with a circular cross-section unlike conventional wet spinning.
For example, water-soluble Kuralon" K-II is applied for the conjugate yarn with
natural fibers, which produces bulky/light wool yarn with a hollow (Fig. 37). Since the fibril
type Kuralon" K-Il becomes PVA pulp composed of microfibrils of less than I |im by
mechanical beating, it is blended in rubber, cement or plastics as reinforcing material
(Fig. 38).
J. Text, Imt,. 2000, Part 3 © Textile Institute

Kajiwara. Nori and Okatnalo
loner wiU of boUow Rbar Outer iwii orboOow nbcr
Fig. 41 Appearance of hollow fibers (SEM picture and a schematic drawing) and a modde (right)
Modified polyester
Polyamid
Fig. 42 Sectional view of the central part of a multi-layer conjugate fiber which reveals structural color
ShineupEX®
ShineupEX* is a conjugate fiber with polyester core and nylon sheath (Fig. 39). Nylon
sheath contains metal/ceramic micro-particles, which decompose any nasty smell by
photocatalytic and neutralization reaction. A sheath-and-core type conjugate fiber is
developed for a variety of higb-function fibers as seen from the examples below.
4.5 Mitsubishi Rayon

Slerapore^, Aqua Mate^
Polyethylene hollow fiber membrane can be applied for various filtration systems. When
polyethylene hollow fiber is drawn, the amorphous part is selectively drawn to form
microfibrils and micro-pores (about 0.1 fun) will develop between microfibrils and crystal
74 J. Text- rnsi., 2000. Part 3 © Textile Institute

PET or Nylon
Ziiconhm) carttide (ZiC)

-•-PETorNY
Thermotron® (Unilika) Therraocalch®W MasonicN® (Kancbo) Lonwavc® (Kuraray)

(Mitsubishi Rayon)
Fig. 43 Heat-regenerating fibers. Thermotron" (Unitika), Themiocatch" W (Mitsubishi Rayon). Maso-

nicN "' (Kanebo), and Lonwave* (Kuiaray) (from left to right)
lamellae. The process is schematically shown in Fig. 40. The polyethylene hollow fibers are
assembled in a module (Fig. 41) for purification of water for various purposes. A multi-
layered composite hollow fiber membrane is also available for a degassing module. Here the
non-porous ultra-thin membrane with high gas permselectivity is sandwiched between two
porous membranes.
4.6 Teijin
The surface abrasion of sportswear is a complex destruction phenomenon of rupture

(threadbare atid tearing ofl), breakage (fibrilation, puncture, and abrasion), and fusion
(heat melting). Teijin developed high-resistant fabric for surface abrasion by analyzing the
filament and fabric factors for eacb cause. The results indicate that the melting point starts
increasing and the tenacity decreasing when the spinning speed exceeds 2500 m/min. The
abrasion resistance against ground was found to take a maximum value at a certain
spinning velocity, and increases as the cover factor (expressed as the square root of the
product of weft density, warp density and denier).
Pasmo" is a high-density fabric with a smooth surface woven from high-molecular
weight polyester {M^ = 30,900) fiber of a large denier with a round or hexagonal cross-
section, spun at a medium-spinning rate (2500 m/min).
Morphotex®
Structural color is due to the interference of light as represented by the tropical blue color of
Morpho sulkowskyi wing. Morphotex^ was developed as a structural color fiber by
applying conjugate spinning. The multi-layer concentric conjugate fiber (Fig. 42) of
modified polyester and nylon reveals deep blue color by tbe interference of light reflected
from multi-layers (Tabata ei al., 1998). Since the color is due to the light interference (not
due to tbe dye or colorant), color is deep, limpid and anisotropic.
4.7 Unitika
Thermotron'
Thermotron " (also known as Solara^') was the first heat-regenerating conjugate fiber with
/. Text. Inst.. 2000. Part 3 © Textile Institute 75

.8 kV K3.BBK la.
Polylactic acid fiber
(blank)
4.8 kv X3. a a k ' ' l e '
Polyiactic acid fiber in the soil

(after 13 months)
Polylactic acid fiber in the soil

(after 24 months)
Fig. 44 Decomposing process of polylactic acid fiber in the soil
7ft J Te.xt. Inst.. 2000. Part 3 © Textile Institute

HYGRA
Regular nylon
Water-absorbing polymer
+
Regular nylon
Outmde
ig moisiurt
Absorbing mtimiutc'
•JJ 1
Human body
Schematic Model of In-Ctoth

Atmosphere
Fig. 45 Hygra" (left: cross-sectional view, right: its tnoisture release mechanism)
a core containing zirconium carbide (ZrC). Since ZrC absorbs sunlight (visible and near-
infrared radiation) and emits far-infrared radiation, one feels warmer when one puts a
jacket made of Thermotron" on. Thermocatch "W (a sheath-and-core type acrylic fiber
from Mitsubishi Rayon), MasonicN " (a nylon filament mixed with ceramic micro-particles
from Kanebo), and Lonwave '^ (a hollow polyester fiber mixed with ceramic micro-particles
from Kuraray) are heat-generating fibers based on the same principle. See Fig. 43.
Terraniac '
Biodegradable fiber will become an important issue in the eco society. Polylactic acid (PLA)
is a kind of aliphatic polyester, which is biodegradable. The monomer (lactic acid) is
obtained by bacteria fermentation of starch, and PLA decomposes non-enzymatically in
the natural environment in the primary step (up to A/,> = 10,000-20.000). and further
hydrolyzes to water-soluble lactic acid oligomers by enzymes secreted by bacteria in the
soil. Bacteria eat and digest lactic acid oligomers (and monomers) to water and carbon
dioxide.
Terramac® is a PLA fiber melt-spun from high-molecular weight PLA with the melting
temperature of about 170X. PLA fiber has a melting temperature T,,, = 170X, a specific
gravity of 1.25, a tensile strength of 4.0-6.5 g/denier, and Young's modulus of 50-60 g/
denier, while polyester has 260"C, 1.38, 4.5-8.0 g/denier, and 100-120 g/denier. respec-
tively. Terramac " is commercially available as continuous filament, staple fiber, and short-
cut fiber to apply to various types of non-woven fabric. Fig. 44 shows the decomposing
process of Terramac" in tbe soil. '
yg
Hygra" is a core-and-sheatb type melt-spun conjugate fiber of water-absorbing polymer
(core) and nylon (sheath) (Fig. 45). Water-absorbing polymer will absorb water up to
35 times its weight. Because of the water-absorbing polymer, Hygra" has high moisture
J. Text. Inst.. 2000, Part 3 fT-) Textile Institute

absorbing/disabsorbing ability (4.8% in comparison with cotton 4.1%, nylon 2.4%, and
polyester 0.4%) and a high moisture absorbing/disabsorbing speed (7.3 10"^%/min
in comparison with cotton 3.83 10-^%/min, nylon 4.63 10 -%/min, and polyester
0.43 10"^%/min). Sheath nylon prevents cloth chnging even in a humid atmosphere.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The work was financially supported by Grant-in-Aid for COE Research No. 10CE2003
(Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, Japan).
REFERENCES
Allen, S.R., Filippov, A.G., Farris, R.J., Thomas. E.L., Wong, C.P.. Berry. G.C., and Chenevey, E.C.. 198i.
Mechanical Studies of High-strength, High-modulus Poly-(/j-phenylenebenzobisthiazole). Macromolecules
14, 1135-1138.
Allen, S.R., Farris. R.J.. and Thomas, E.L.. 1985. High Modulus/High Strength Poly-(;».phenylenebenzo-
bisthiazole) Fibers. Part 2 Structure-Property Investigation. J. Mater. Sd.. 20. 4583-4592.
Holland. M.C., I959w- Trilobal Textile Filament, US Patent 2.939.201.
Holland, M.C.. 19596. Synthetic Polymer Textile Filament. US Patent 2,939.202.
Kajiwara. K.. and Miyamoto. T., 1999. Application of High-technology Fibers in Sports Decente Sports
.Sci.. 19. 14-34. '^
Kitagawa, T.. Murase, H., and Yabuki, K., 1998. Morphological Study on Poly-/>-phenylcneben2obisox-
azole (PBO) Fiber. / . Polym, Sci.. B36, 39-48.
Kummer. S., 199], Ordered Polymer Fibers. \n International Encyclopedia of Composite. Vo) 4 (edited bv
S.M. Lee). VGH. New York. pp.5!-74. '
Lemstra, P.J.. Krischbaum. R.. Ohta. T.. and Yasuda. H.. 1987. High-strength/High-modulus Structures
Based on Flexible Macromoiecules: Gel Spinning and Related Process. In Developments in Oriented
Polymers 2 (edited by I.M. Ward). Elsevjer. New York.
Niwa. U.. 1996. Swimsuit for Race. Chemistry, 51. 494-496.
Odd!. J.A.. Ungar. G.. and Feijoo, J.L., 1993. A Rheological. Optical, and X-ray Study of the Relaxaiion of
Orientation of Nematic PB2T.,/. Polym. Sci.. B31. 141-155.
Okamoto. M.. and Kajiwara, K., 1997. Shingosen: Past, Present and Future. Te.\t. Prog,. 27{2). 1-51
Radler. M.I.. Landes. G.B., Nolan. S.J., Broomall. C.F.. Chritz, T.C.. Rudolf, P.R., Mills. M.E.. and
Bubeck, R.A.. 1994, [n Situ X-ray Scattering Studies of Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline PBO and PBZT
Monofilament Drawing. J. Polym. Sci., B32. 2567-2573.
Sikkema, D.J.. 1998. Design. Synthesis and Properties of a Novel Rigid Rod Polymer, "M5": High Modulus
and Tenacity Fibers with Substantial Compressive Strength. In Proceedings of UMIST Textile Conference:
Textiles Engineered for Performance, Manchester.
Tabata. H,. Asano. M., and Shimizu, S.. 1998. Structural Color of Living Things - Dream Fiber Woven by
Light. Kohunshi. 47. 738-741.
Takeda, M.. Sakamoto, J.. Saeki. A., and Ichikawa. H.. 1996. Mechanical and Structural Analysis of Silicon
Carbide Fiber Hi-Njcalon Types. Ceram. F-ngng Sci, Proc, 17, 35-42.
Ulrich, D,R.. i 987. MuJtifunctional Macromolecular Ultrastructures: Introductory Comments on Speciality
Polymers '86. Polymer, 28, 533-542.
Wolfe, J.F.. and Loo, B.H., 1980. Thermally Stable Rod-Uke Polybenzobisthiazole Polymers. US Patent
4225700.
Wolfe. J.F.. Sybert. P.D.. and Sybert. J.R.. 1985. Liquid Crystalline Polymer Compositions, Process and
Products. US Patents 4533692, 4533693. 4533724.
Yajima, S.. 1985. Silicon Carbide Fibres. In Handbook of Composites I. Strong Fibres (edited by W. Watt and
B.W. Perov). North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp.201 -237,
Yasuda, H.. Ban. K., and Ohta, Y.. 1991. Recent Advance in Gel-apinning Method. Sen-i Gakkaishi 47
P595-P601.
-I Text. Imt.. 2000. Part 3 t) Textile Institute

New Fibers From Japan

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

New Fibers From Japan

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Journal of The Textile Institute

ISSN: 0040-5000 (Print) 1754-2340 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tjti20

New Fibers from Japan

K. Kajiwara , R. Nori & M. Okamoto

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00405000008659541

Published online: 30 Mar 2009.

Submit your article to this journal

Article views: 168

View related articles

Citing articles: 5 View citing articles

Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at

32 J. Text. Inst., 2000, Part 3 © Textile Institute

Polytetrafluoroethylen (PTFE) CF7 -CF,

Potypropytene (PP) CH2-CH

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) -(-CH2-CH-)—

Poly-4-methyl-l-pentene (P4M1P) -CH -

J. Text. Inst.. 2000. Pan .? (P) 7V.\-(i7^ Institute 33

[Polyarylate (aromatic polyester)]

[Olhcr heterocyclic polymer]

Poly(benz imidazole) (PBI)

Poly(phenylcne stxlfide) (PPS)

Poly(ether suifone) (PES)

Poly(ether ether ketoneXPEEK)

34 J. Te.xi. Inst.. 2000. Part 3 €) Texiiie Inslitute

2. HIGH-PERFORMANCE FIBER ' . :

J. Text, liusl.. 2000. Purt 3 C> Textile Instilule 35

36 l/jsr., 2000, Part 3 © Textile Imtitute

,/. Text. Inst.. 2000, Part 3 0 Textile Institute

•ying polyp ropylene

•nw-PUniini m D«>« Ryitroponu: Cuiiu™

Man-Mad* GBth>rlnr-Pla« foi Fuh

Fig. 1 Scope of advanced Bber application

- High tenacity, high modulus, high impact strength

- Light transmission, light-responsive function

Fig. 2 Three classes of new fibers

38 / Text. Inst.. 2000. Part 3 © textile Institute

Typical Fiber Commercial Name Manufacturer

Organic fiber Rigid polymer Aromatic Kevlar* Du Ponl

(gel spinning) Dyneema " Toyobo

2.2 Poly-/?-phenylene Benz-his-oxazole (PBO) Fiber (Zylon^)

/ . Text. Inst., 2000, Part 3 © Textile Institute

Fig. 3 Carbonizaiion of polyacrylonitriJe and pilch

40 J. Text. Inst., 2000. Part 3 © Textile Institute

Main Characteristics Main Applications

Super fiber /lara-Aramid High tenacity, high Protection materials, belt

resistance sports items

2.3 High-tenacity Polyethylene Fiber (Dyneema-*)

J, Text- hm., 2tmO, Part 3 (0 Textile Jn.stiiuic 41

42 . 7(rxr In.u.. 2000. Part 3 © Textile Institute

cis-poly-(>*phenylenebenzobi$oxazole crana-pol y>p-pheny leoebenzobu imidazole

J. Text. Inst.. 2000. Part 3 © Textile Institute 43

44 J. Text. Inst., 2000. Part 3 © Textile Imtitute

2.4 Inorganic Fiber

J. Te.xt, In.u.. 2000. Part 3 © Textile Institute 45

ZYLON -Aramid m-Aramid

ZYLON p-Aramid m-Aramid

46 / . Text. Inst.. 2000. Part 3 © Textile Institute

Fig. 9 Molecular structure of PIPD (M5)

} Drawing noi possible

OC { Drawing not possib

Fig. 10 Concept of gel spinning

J. Text. Inst.. 2000. Part 3 :C;. Textile In.stilute 47