Very small diameter fibers of poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPTA)
ranging in diameter from 40 nm to a few hundreds of nanometers were m
ade by the electrospinning process. The fibers have a circular cross-s
ection, are birefringent and stable at temperatures greater than 400 d
egrees C. Electron diffraction patterns obtained from both as-spun and
annealed fibers show meridional and equatorial reflections demonstrat
ing order in the material. The crystal structure and morphology of the
fibers were characterized using bright and dark field electron micros
copy, electron diffraction and atomic force microscopy.