Poly-p-phenylene Terephthamide Modified Poly(1,3,4-Oxadiazole) Fibers with Superior Ultraviolet Resistance

Poly-p-phenylene-(1,3,4-oxadiazole) (POD) fibers have attracted tremendous attention due to the excellent thermal stability, however, their poor ultraviolet (UV) resistance seriously restricted the application. Some efforts have been devoted to improving the UV stability of POD, while the methods are generally too complicated or costly. This work applied a simple but effective approach to obtain POD/PPTA composite fibers by blending poly-p-phenylene terephthamide (PPTA) with POD. The results showed that the obtained POD/PPTA composite fibers exhibited enhanced tensile strength and heat resistance compared to the pure POD fibers. The POD/10%PPTA composite fibers retained 68% strength and 43% elongation even after 24 h UV accelerated aging. The improvement of UV resistance was attributed to the photoinduced electron transfer reaction in POD/PPTA composite fibers, which has been demonstrated by both experimental and simulation studies.