polybenzimidazole
Sign in to saveAlso known as PBI, poly[(1,5-dihydrobenzo[1,2-d:4,5-d′]diimidazole-2,6-diyl)-1,4-phenylene]
Polybenzimidazole (PBI, short for 'poly[2,2’-(m-phenylen)-5,5’-bisbenzimidazole]') fiber is a synthetic fiber with a very high decomposition temperature. It does not exhibit a melting point, does not readily ignite, and has exceptional thermal and chemical stability. It was first discovered in 1961, by American polymer chemist Carl Shipp Marvel in the pursuit of new materials with superior stability, retention of stiffness, and toughness at elevated temperature. Due to its high stability, polybenzimidazole is used to fabricate high-performance protective apparel such as firefighter's gear, ast
~19 min read
Encyclopedic overview
25 sectionsContents
- History
- Discovery
- Development
- Properties
- General physical properties
- Thermal stability
- Flame resistance
- Moisture regain
- Synthesis
- Applications
- Protective apparel
- PBI membranes
- Molded PBI resin
- Fuel cell electrolyte
- Asbestos replacement
- Flue gas filtration
- References
- Appendix of properties
- PBI fiber characteristics
- Chemical resistance
- Electrical properties
- Mechanical properties
- Physical properties
- Thermal properties
- External links
Polybenzimidazole (PBI, short for 'poly[2,2’-(m-phenylen)-5,5’-bisbenzimidazole]') fiber is a synthetic fiber with a very high decomposition temperature. It does not exhibit a melting point, does not readily ignite, and has exceptional thermal and chemical stability. It was first discovered in 1961, by American polymer chemist Carl Shipp Marvel in the pursuit of new materials with superior stability, retention of stiffness, and toughness at elevated temperature. Due to its high stability, polybenzimidazole is used to fabricate high-performance protective apparel such as firefighter's gear, astronaut space suits, high temperature protective gloves, welders’ apparel and aircraft wall fabrics. Polybenzimidazole has been applied as a membrane in fuel cells.
== History ==
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “polybenzimidazole” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.