Polyacrylonitrile (
PAN), also known as Creslan 61, is a synthetic, semicrystalline organic
polymer resin, with the linear formula (C
3H
3N)
n. Though it is thermoplastic, it does not melt under normal conditions. It degrades before melting. It melts above 300 °C if the heating rates are 50 degrees per minute or above. Almost all polyacrylonitrile
resins are
copolymers made from mixtures of
monomers with
acrylonitrile as the main component. It is a versatile polymer used to produce large variety of products including ultra filtration membranes, hollow fibers for
reverse osmosis, fibers for textiles, oxidized PAN fibers. PAN fibers are the chemical precursor of high-quality
carbon fiber. PAN is first thermally oxidized in air at 230 degrees to form an oxidized PAN fiber and then carbonized above 1000 degrees in inert atmosphere to make carbon fibers found in a variety of both high-tech and common daily applications such as civil and military aircraft primary and secondary structures, missiles, solid propellant rocket motors, pressure vessels, fishing rods,
tennis rackets, badminton rackets & high-tech
bicycles. It is a component
repeat unit in several important
copolymers, such as
styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) and
acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic.