Solubility of heat-resisting polymers in mesophase pitches at their spinning temperatures

Solubilities of two thermoresisting polymers (polyethylene telephthalate p-hydroxybenzoate, a liquid crystal polymer and polyethylene naphthalate) in mesophase pitches (MP) derived from coal tar (C1) and petroleum residues (P1 and P2) were examined to prepare blended fibre as the better precursor for the high-performance carbon fibre. MP-C1 and MP-P1 of high aromaticity dissolved 5 wt% of both polymers on mixing at 360 °C for 3 h, maintaining 100 vol% anisotropy which the parent mesophase pitches exhibited, although only MP-C1 did so at 340 °C. In a marked contrast, a number of isotropic droplets from both polymers dispersed in MP-P2 after the blending under the same conditions. The blends of MP-C1 with polymers were spinnable at around 370 °C into fibres of 10 to 20 μm diameter although their spinnability was slightly inferior to that of the pitch alone. The blended fibre exhibited slightly higher stabilization reactivity at 270 to 300 °C than that of the parent mesophase pitch fibre. Structural factors of the mesophase pitch which influence their dissolving ability are discussed. Thermal stability of the polymers is also briefly examined.