Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) can be produced by the polymerization of acrylonitrile in aqueous medium by the polymerization processes in solution, suspension or emulsion, since the acrylonitrile monomer is partially soluble in water with a solubility of 7.9% at 40^oC. Under these conditions water-soluble catalysts are used, such as the redox system based on ammonium persulfate / Fe³⁺/sodium bisulfite or potassium chlorate/ Fe³⁺/sodium bisulfite.

The polymer can also be obtained by mass polymerization with or without organic solvents, when catalysts soluble in organic solvents, such as organic peroxides or azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN), have to be used.

The main process acrylonitrile polymerization for industrial production of polyacrylonitrile is known as Suspension Polymerization.



PAN can be produced in the form of a homopolymer, that is, when only acrylonitrile is used, or also produced in the form of copolymers, when polymerization occurs with other different comonomers.
Generally, PAN for textile use is composed of at least 85% of acrylonitrile (AN) and the remaining 15% of other comonomers, which make the fibers produced capable of fixing dyes during the dyeing process.

Molecular structure in the form of a polyacrylonitrile homopolymer (PAN)

Molecular structure in the form of a polyacrylonitrile copolymer (PAN) with polyvinyl acetate (PVA)