Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)
Poliacrilonitrilo
- Date
- 1930 · confidence low
- Place
- Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany
- Credited to
- Hans Fikentscher
- Field
- Matter & energy
What it is
A semicrystalline synthetic organic polymer used in ultrafiltration membranes, textile fibers and, above all, as the chemical precursor of high-quality carbon fiber.
Developed in the German chemical industry around 1930; its later oxidation and carbonization gave rise to carbon fiber.
What it led to
- Modern carbon fiber for aerospace and sports
- Acrylic textile fibers and reverse-osmosis membranes
Built on
- Synthetic polymer chemistry