Carbon Fibre Precursor Production with NaSCN (aq.) As A Sustainable Solvent

In 2007 a chemical regulation order was adopted in Europe and China, to protect the environment and human beings from hazardous substances in consumer goods and their working environment. It is a topic of interest for the rest of the world, as well. Some substances are banned by law from the industrial application. The organic solvents Dimethylformamide (DMF) and Dimethylacetamide (DMAc) are candidates for prohibition. To be prepared, the producers of carbon fibre precursors, hollow fibres and wet spun textile products are looking for alternative solvents for their production processes and try to gain according process Know-How. Aqueous solutions of inorganic salts are the most promising alternative. The relevance of chemical regulations for the fibre industry and in particular for the carbon fibre precursor production process will be discussed and the major changes due to the use of inorganic solvents are shown. Some of the main characteristics and advantages of these solvents are considered. Appropriate spinning conditions and their effect on the process costs are in the focus of this work. The Institute of Textile Technology at RWTH-Aachen University (ITA) is one of the leading textile research institutes in Europe. The experience we gained during the trials on our wet spinning lines and from the collaboration with industry partners will be part of the work