Crystallographic texturing in single poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) fibres investigated using synchrotron radiation

A micro-focus synchrotron beam has been used to investigate crystallographic texturing in poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) fibres. By generating diffraction patterns across single fibres, it is possible to produce profiles showing scattering intensity as a function of beam position across the fibre. A straightforward model has been developed to allow the degree of texturing to be quantified for direct comparison between fibre types. The experimental results are found to fit a radial fibrillar-texturing model, which incorporates a distribution in radial orientation about the fibre axis. Previous studies reporting the a-axis of the PBO unit cell to be aligned radially within fibrils about the fibre axis are found to be correct. gree of radial fibrillar texturing is in the same fibre order as tensile modulus and crystalline domain orientation for PBO fibres with different processing histories. It is proposed that the degree of radial fibrillar texturing is therefore related to fibre homogeneity. An extrapolation of tensile modulus to that of a perfectly homogeneous fibre results in a value in good agreement with the PBO crystal modulus. This further supports the proposal that the degree of radial fibrillar texturing is related to fibre homogeneity.