Preparation, structure and properties of poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) composite fibers reinforced with graphene

Abstract

Graphene-reinforced poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) (PBO) composite fibers were manufactured via dry-jet wet-spinning of PBO/graphene mixtures in poly(phosphoric acid) (PPA), which were reaction products prepared by the in situ polymerization of 4,6-diaminoresorcinol dihydrochloride and terephthaloyl chloride in the presence of PPA solvent and exfoliated graphene sheets. The content of graphene sheets in the as-spun fibers was adjusted to 0.0 similar to 2.0 wt%. The molecular structure, crystalline order, and morphology of the as-spun fibers of pristine PBO and PBO/graphene composites were identified using FTIR, X-ray diffraction, and electron/optical microscopy. The thermal stability and tensile mechanical properties of the composite fiber with 0.2 wt% graphene were found to be significantly improved compared to the pristine PBO fiber.