Fine SiC fiber synthesized from organosilicon polymers; Relationship between spinning temperature and melt viscosity of precursor polymers

Idesaki, Akira; Narisawa, Masaki*; Okamura, Kiyohito*; Sugimoto, Masaki; Tanaka, Shigeru; Morita, Yosuke; Seguchi, Tadao; Ito, Masayoshi*

A very fine silicon carbide (SiC) fiber with diameter of 6 m, about a half of that of a commercially available SiC fiber, was synthesized from a polymer blend of polycarbosilane (PCS) and polyvinylsilane (PVS). The fine SiC fiber was obtained by optimizing the composition and the spinning temperature of PCS-PVS polymer blends. In order to determine these optimum conditions, the relationship between temperature and melt viscosities of the polymer blends was investigated. As a result, it was found that the optimum spinning temperature range was within a temperature range where the melt viscosity is 5-10Pas. Moreover, by blending PVS with PCS, the spinning temperature of the polymer blends was lowered, the spinnability of polymer system was improved, and finer polymer fiber was obtained compared with PCS. The optimum content of PVS in the polymer blend was 15-20wt%.