The ITA Hi-Performance Fibers Chart

There are many high performance fibers on the market. The following chart, and the accompanying Table 2 with brand names, should help to give you some idea of their properties and assist in choosing their use. It is not all inclusive, but does include the most commonly available materials. To select the right fiber, many factors should be considered, not just properties -- but it is a good place to start. And since things are changing, so will the availability of some of the fibers. Please contact ITA should you have questions or need assistance.

FIBERS &

PROPERTIES

Aramid(3)

M = meta

P = para

PAN/

Carbon

HDPE

(4)

Glass

Mela- mine

PBI

PBO

Nova-

loid

Phenolic

Poly-

acrylate

Poly-

arylate

liquid crystal

PPS

PTFE

Poly-

imide

Poly-

amide

imide

FIBER PROPERTIES
Tenacity - dry g/d 4.0-5.3 M

21-27 P

24

24-35

15.3

1.8

2.6-3.0

42

1.3-2.4

1.3-1.7

26-29

3.5

0.9-2.0

3.7

3.4
Tensile - 000 psi 90 M

400 P

31

375-435

500

30

50

N/A

20-30

25-33

525-585

61

40-50

67

75-80
Elongation at break % 22-32 M

2.5-4.0 P

19

2.8-4.4

4.8

12

25-30

2.5-3.5

30-60

20-30

3.3

40

19-140

19-21

16-21
Moisture Regain % 6.5 M

4.0 P

9

0

< 0.10

5

15

0.6-2.0

6-7.3

12

<0.10

0.6

0

3

4-4.5
Specific Gravity 1.38 M

1.44 P

1.4

.97

2.5

1.44

1.43

1.50

1.27

1.5

1.41

1.37

2.1

1.41

1.34
Avg. Toughness - g/d 0.30 M

0.85 P

N/A

N/A

0.37

N/A

0.4

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

0.15

N/A

N/A
Abrasion Resistance Good M

Poor P

Poor

Good

Poor

Fair

Good

Excel

Poor

Fair

Excel

Good

Good

Good

Good
Resilience Excellent

Poor

Fair

Poor

Fair

Excel

Excel

Fair

Good

Good

Good

Poor

Fair

N/A

CHEMICAL RESISTANCE
Solvents Excel M

Good P

Good

Excel

Excel

Excel

Excel

Excel

Excel

Good

Excel

Excel

Excel

Excel

Excel
Acids: dilute:

concentrated:

 Good M

Fair P

Good

Poor

Excel

Excel

Excel

Excel

Good

Poor

Excel

Excel

Good

Fair

Excel

Poor(1)

Excel

Excel

Excel

Excel

Excel

Good

Excel

Excel

Excel

Excel

Good

Fair
Alkalies: dilute:

concentrated:

 Good M

Good P

Good

Good

Excel

Excel

Fair

Fair

Excel

Excel

Excel

Good

Excel

N/A

Excel

Excel

Excel

Excel

Excel

Excel

Excel

Excel

Excel

Excel

Poor

Poor

Good

Good
Ultraviolet (UV) Poor

Good

Excel

Excel

Good

Good

P-Good

Excel

Excel

Poor

Excel

Excel

Good

Good

THERMAL PROPERTIES
Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI) 30 M

29 P

55

N/A

> 100

32

42

68

33

43

37

34

> 100

40

32
Thermal Conductivity

(BTU - in/hr2 per 0 F)

0.26 M

0.30 P

< .03

N/A

7.2

0.20

0.26

<0.3

0.28

0.31

3.81(5)

 

0.3

0.2

N/A

0.08
Usable Temp. 0 C

Short term:

Continuous:

  

315-370

230

 

V-High

220

 

Melts

at

147(4)

 

V-High

315

 

260-370

>200

 

> 595

315

Decomp

650

>300

Decomp

400

205

 

(2)

160

Decomp

>400

>200

 

260

205

Decomp

430

288

 

< 485

< 260

 

> 400

250
Smoke Emission -

Density: