Approaches to Preceramic Polymer Fiber Fabrication

The demand for lightweight, high-modulus, and temperature-resistant materials for aerospace and other high-temperature applications has contributed to the development of ceramic fibers that exhibit most of the favorable properties of monolithic ceramics. The preceramic polymer requirements for a fiber concoction include: (1) appropriate rheology for non-Newtonian flows of materials and appropriate viscosity during rotation; (2) reactivity to fuse the fibers for subsequent pyrolysis; (3) controlled degradation during pyrolysis to prevent disorders of the structure, such as scattered material, and to produce high-density fibers with high ceramic performance; (4) controlled formation of nano- or microstructures.