Effect of Polyethylene Glycol on Melt Spinning of Poly(Acrylonitrile-co-1-Vinylimidazole)

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) and glycerol were tested as melt assistants to enhance the melt processability of poly(acrylonitrile-co-1-vinyl imidazole) (co-PAN). The effects of the melt assistants on the molecular mobility of co-PAN were investigated through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and the specific volume changes with temperature were analyzed to evaluate the efficiency of the melt assistants theoretically. The MD results demonstrated that both PEG and glycerol increase the specific volume of co-PAN compared to pristine co-PAN. However, the effects of PEG in terms of increasing the specific volume and mobility of co-PAN were superior to those of glycerol. These findings were verified by variations in the shear viscosity of the co-PAN. Spinnability was improved significantly for co-PAN/PEG, and a more uniform co-PAN melt-spun filament could be obtained compared to co-PAN/glycerol. Thus, PEG200 is the best melt assistant for co-PAN, and 15% (w/w) is the optimal content for the melt-spinning of co-PAN.