polyacrylonitrile

polyacrylonitrile (PAN), a synthetic resin prepared by the polymerization of acrylonitrile. A member of the important family of acrylic resins, it is a hard, rigid thermoplastic material that is resistant to most solvents and chemicals, slow to burn, and of low permeability to gases. Most polyacrylonitrile is produced as acrylic and modacrylic fibre, a common substitute for wool in clothing and home furnishings.

Acrylonitrile (CH₂=CHCN) is obtained by reacting propylene (CH₂=CHCH₃) with ammonia (NH₃) and oxygen in the presence of catalysts. It is a flammable liquid that is highly toxic if ingested and is a known carcinogen; strictly regulated procedures are required for its handling and disposal. Acrylonitrile monomers (single-unit molecules) are suspended, almost always in combination with other monomers, as fine droplets in water and are induced to polymerize to PAN through the action of free-radical initiators. The acrylonitrile repeating unit of the polymer has the following structure: .

PAN has none of the hazardous properties of the monomer. Owing to the formation of strong chemical bonds between the nitrile (CN) groups, the polymer molecules resist most organic solvents and do not melt without decomposing. In most cases the polymer is dissolved in special solvents and spun into acrylic fibres, which are defined as fibres that contain 85 percent or more of PAN. Because PAN is difficult to dissolve and is highly resistant to dyeing, very little fibre is produced containing PAN alone. On the other hand, a copolymer containing 2 to 7 percent of a vinyl comonomer such as vinyl acetate can be solution-spun readily to fibres that soften enough to allow penetration by dyestuffs. Acrylic fibres are soft and flexible, producing lightweight, lofty yarns. Such properties closely resemble those of wool; hence, the most common use of acrylics in apparel and carpets is as a wool replacement—for example, in knitted wear such as sweaters and socks. Acrylics can be sold at a fraction of the cost of the natural fibre, and they offer better sunlight resistance, mildew resistance, and resistance to attack by moths. Acrylic fibres are also used as precursors for the production of carbon and graphite fibres, as replacements for asbestos in cement, and in industrial filters and battery separators.

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major industrial polymers: Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)

Acrylics modified by halogen-containing comonomers such as vinyl chloride or vinylidene chloride are classified as modacrylics. (By definition, modacrylics contain more than 35 percent and less than 85 percent PAN.) The presence of chlorine imparts a notable flame resistance to the fibre—an advantage that makes modacrylics desirable for products such as children’s sleepwear, blankets, awnings, and tents. However, they are not as widely used as the simple acrylics because of their higher cost and because they are somewhat prone to shrinkage in clothes dryers.

Although the polymerization of acrylonitrile had been known since the 1890s, commercial production of PAN fibre did not begin until the 1940s, after Ray C. Houtz of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company (now DuPont Company) discovered spinning solvents that could dissolve the polymer. DuPont introduced its trademarked Orlon acrylic fibre in 1948; Orlon was soon followed by the Monsanto Chemical Company’s Acrilan, American Cyanamid’s Creslan, Courtaulds’ Courtelle, and others. The decade of the 1950s also saw the introduction of modacrylics such as Eastman Kodak Company’s Verel and Monsanto’s SEF.