This paper summarizes the conventional spinning processes used to obtain polyacrylonitrile (PAN). A brief history of the development of PAN fiber is presented. The employability of PAN fibers is attributed mainly to the textile sector and aviation (as main precursor for carbon fibers). Currently, the wet spinning process became the only means of industrial production of PAN fibers, which employs DMF (dimethylformamide) as the main solvent for this technique of spinning. We describe a new method of spinning of PAN with no need of using highly toxic solvents. This innovative technology enables spinning by melting PAN using glycerin (from biodiesel production) as the primary plasticizer.
Polyacrylonitrile; solution spinning; melt spinning; acrylic fibers
