Inviscid melt spinning-IMS crystallization of amorphous alumina fibers

Experimental amorphous Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}CaO fibers (<80% Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) which had been made by inviscid melt spinning (IMS) of low viscosity melts were found to retain up to 87% of their room temperature tensile strength at 750{degree}C (versus 25% for S-glass). The results suggest that the strength of these fibers is ultimately limited by their crystallization temperatures and that they might tolerate 100-200{degree}C higher temperatures than S-glass in comparable applications (e.g., in fiber reinforced composites). Some fibers were crystallized in a laboratory furnace. The crystalline phases of the resulting fibers were correlated with measured properties. The implications were applied to an analysis of a proposed process for redrawing inviscid melt spun (RIMS) fibers.