Abstract: A method for fabricating a monolithic polybenzbisazole article including the steps of:(a) dissolving at least one benzbisazole polymer in a strong acid at an elevated temperature;(b) transferring the resulting solution to a mold;(c) cooling the solution in the mold to a temperature below the gelation temperature of the acid-polymer mixture, thus providing a polymer-acid gel;(d) ageing the gel for about 0.25 to 10 days;(e) replacing the acid in the gel with water;(f) replacing the water in the gel with a lower aliphatic alcohol; and(g) densifying the gel.

Abstract: A process for fabricating rod-like aromatic heterocyclic polymer-reinforced composite materials into shaped articles which comprises the steps of:(a) dissolving a rigid-rod aromatic heterocyclic polymer and a flexible, coil-like thermoplastic polymer in a common solvent at a concentration less than the critical concentration point of the solution;(b) extruding the solution resulting from step (a) into a liquid bath for removing the solvent;(c) placing the extrudate from step (b), in the liquid-wet state, into a mold, and consolidating the extrudate in the mold to provide a molded article;(d) drying the molded article resulting from step (c); and(e) compression molding the article to provide a fully consolidated, solid article.