Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers were pre-oxidized in a temperature range of 180-275°C. The
effects of positive and negative stretching on the structure and morphology of PAN fiber in
the pre-oxidation process were studied by FTIR spectroscopy, XRD, and SEM. Mechanical
property changes were also investigated. No changes in the movement and intensity of functional groups of PAN fibers were caused by positive stretching of up to 10% and negative
stretching down to -8%. The crystal structure can be affected by the positive stretching and
negative stretching. The maximum strength is 479.81 MPa when the stretching is positive,
and the maximum strength is 420.55 MPa when the stretching is negative.
Key words: polyacrylonitrile, positive stretching, negative stretching, pre-oxidation