Polyacrylonitrile PAN
(CH2CHCN)n, polyacrylonitrile · CAS 25014-41-9
Polyacrylonitrile is a vinyl polymer made from acrylonitrile.
Evidence level
5 of 5
Flown or field-proven
- 0Predicted only. No one has made it, or no measurement exists.
- 1Calculated. Only calculated or predicted values from sources.
- 2Lab-measured. Measured properties with their conditions stated.
- 3Space-relevant tests. Measured in conditions relevant to space, such as vacuum or atomic oxygen.
- 4Ground-qualified. Qualified for an application on the ground.
- 5Flown or field-proven. Flight or field results exist.
Recipe, share of the weight
- C 67.9%Carbon
- H 5.7%Hydrogen
- N 26.4%Nitrogen
Best for
Atomic-oxygen tolerance in low Earth orbit in the one flight data point collected here (NASA MISSE 2, about 3.95 years)
Weakest at
Only one flight result and one ground test of its erosion behaviour were found; no UV or thermal-cycling result for the neat polymer
Risk at a glance
- People None found. Not classified hazardous
- If it fails Low. Degradation before melting under heat
- Corrosion No data. No corrosion data recorded
Quick facts: PAN
| Property | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.14 to 1.18 g/cm³ | 4 sourced values across conditions |
| Melting point | 317 °C | 1 sourced value |
What is the density of Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)?
Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) has a density of 1.14 to 1.18 g/cm³. The range covers 4 sourced values across the tempers, forms and test conditions the sources report; room-temperature values are used where a source states a temperature.
What is the melting point of Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)?
Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) has a melting point of 317 °C. The source and test conditions are listed in the properties table on this page.
What is Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) used for?
Uses recorded in the sources include Precursor for carbon fibre.
Why it exists
Polyacrylonitrile is a vinyl polymer made from acrylonitrile. Its glass transition sits near 85 to 100 C and it degrades near 300 C before melting. The MISSE 2 flight test gave an atomic oxygen erosion yield of 1.41e-24 cm3/atom.
Where it's used
Carbon fibre
Wikipedia says PAN is used as the precursor for 90 percent of carbon fibre production.
Recipe
(CH2CHCN)n, polyacrylonitrile; repeat unit (C3H3N)n from acrylonitrile
Polyacrylonitrile is a vinyl polymer. Each repeat unit is one acrylonitrile monomer, CH2CHCN, polymerised by free-radical polymerisation.
| Ingredient | Atoms per unit | Share of the weight | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon C | 3 | 67.9% | Backbone and nitrile carbon of each repeat unit. |
| Hydrogen H | 3 | 5.7% | Backbone hydrogens of each repeat unit. |
| Nitrogen N | 1 | 26.4% | Nitrile group that gives PAN its polar side groups and its carbon-fibre chemistry. |
Weight shares are calculated from standard atomic weights.
What it can do
Strength
Survive the atomic oxygen of low Earth orbit with a small erosion yield in the MISSE 2 flight test (1.41e-24 cm3/atom).
Serve as the precursor for most carbon fibre (Wikipedia
90 percent).
How it compares
PAN is a high-glass-transition acrylic. Its atomic oxygen erosion yield of 1.41e-24 cm3/atom in MISSE 2 is in the same range as polystyrene and the other low-yield polymers in the NASA table. Its thermal behaviour is set by degradation near 300 C rather than melting. The table compares PAN with the other polymers in the collection.
The same measurements for each material, so you can compare them. Each row names the key condition under the value; the full conditions and methods are in the numbered notes under Technical details. Other materials are shown beside it; each was measured under its own conditions, so open its page before comparing closely. Compare every grade in the family.
| Measurement | PAN | PMMA |
|---|---|---|
| Thermal behavior and safety | ||
| melting point | 317 °C11 | no data |
| tga onset t5 | 321 °C12 | no data |
| Physical and electrical | ||
| Density | 1.143 g/cm³3 | 1.19 g/cm³ |
| Density | 1.184 g/cm³4 | 1.19 g/cm³ |
| Density | 1.184 g/mL5 | 1.19 g/cm³ |
| Density | 1.17 g/cm³6 | 1.19 g/cm³ |
| Temperature behavior | ||
| glass transition temperature | 94 °C7 | no data |
| glass transition temperature | 85 °C8 | no data |
| glass transition temperature | 85 °C9 | no data |
| glass transition temperature | 95 °C10 | no data |
| Other measurements | ||
| erosion yield atomic oxygen | 1.41×10^-24 cm³/atom1 | no data |
| erosion yield atomic oxygen | 1.37×10^-24 cm³/atom2 | no data |
| molecular weight average | 1.5×10^5 g/mol13 | no data |
Why choose it, and why not
Good for
- Atomic oxygen tolerance in low Earth orbit. The MISSE 2 flight gave a yield of 1.41e-24 cm3/atom, close to the 1.37e-24 cm3/atom predicted.
- Carbon fibre precursor. Wikipedia says 90 percent of carbon fibre is made from PAN.
Watch out for
- Degradation near 300 C, below its melting point.
- Only one flight result and one predictive tool value were found for erosion; there is no UV or thermal-cycling result for neat PAN.
PAN is a useful reference for low-erosion polymers in low Earth orbit, with a single flight point and a well-established carbon-fibre route. Its UV and thermal-cycling behaviour are not yet supported by data in this file.
Technical details
For scientists and researchers. Everything above comes from the record below: every number with its method, its conditions and its source.
Notes
The method, full conditions and any caveat for the numbered rows above.
| # | Measurement | Method | Conditions | Caveat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | erosion yield atomic oxygen | Measured flight erosion yield reported in the NASA predictive-tool report | platform ISS, MISSE 2, PEC 2 tray 1 (outside the Quest airlock)fluence 8.43e21 atoms/cm2duration about 3.95 years (2001-08-16 to 2005-07-30) | — |
| 2 | erosion yield atomic oxygen | Predicted by the NASA predictive tool (a calculated value, not a test) | basis NASA predictive tool, same report; compared with the MISSE 2 flight value | — |
| 3 | Density | Value printed in the NASA predictive-tool report density table | basis reference density used by the NASA erosion tool; reference 12 in that report | — |
| 4 | Density | Value printed in the infobox of the Wikipedia article | basis Wikipedia infobox, no temperature stated | — |
| 5 | Density | Printed on the supplier's property listing (Sigma-Aldrich product 181315) | temperature 25 Cgrade average Mw 150,000 (typical) | — |
| 6 | Density | Range printed on the Goodfellow material information page | basis Material overview, no temperature stated | — |
| 7 | glass transition temperature | Differential scanning calorimetry value printed in a 2021 Scientific Reports paper (Table 3) | method detail DSCgrade Sigma-Aldrich PAN, Mw 150,000, used as received | — |
| 8 | glass transition temperature | Typical value printed on the Sigma-Aldrich property listing | grade average Mw 150,000 (typical) | — |
| 9 | glass transition temperature | Range printed in the Material Overview of the Goodfellow page | basis range for PAN resins, no grade stated | — |
| 10 | glass transition temperature | Value printed in the Physical properties section of the Wikipedia article | basis stated as around 95 C; no grade or method given | — |
| 11 | melting point | Melting point printed on the Sigma-Aldrich property listing; the Wikipedia article says PAN degrades before melting | grade average Mw 150,000 (typical) | — |
| 12 | tga onset t5 | Thermogravimetric value printed in Table 3 of a 2021 Scientific Reports paper | method detail TGA, 5 percent weight loss (T5)grade Sigma-Aldrich PAN, Mw 150,000 | — |
| 13 | molecular weight average | Printed on the Glentham GK2612 datasheet (approx. 150,000) and the Sigma-Aldrich listing (average Mw 150,000 typical) | basis average molecular weight of the polymer as listed by the supplier, approximate | — |
Risks and side effects
Hazards to people, what happens when a cell overheats, and how the material is handled and stored.
For people
The supplier datasheet says not classified; a second SDS gives no hazard data.
- The polymer
- The Glentham datasheet says not classified as hazardous under CLP. ChemicalBook prints no data available for hazard classification.
Test details
The original wording and numbers from the sources, for readers who want them.
Failure risks
| Failure | Trigger and consequence |
|---|---|
| Degradation before melting under heatlow severity | Heating above about 300 COnset of thermal degradation near 300 C; the sample in the Scientific Reports paper lost 0.8 percent of its weight at 300 C and was about 321 C at 5 percent loss. |
Handling and storage
- Glentham gives a recommended storage temperature of +20 C for the powder and a water content of 1.0 percent or less.
Documents
Datasheets, safety data sheets, papers and standards you can open.
| Document | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| NASA TM-2008-215490, atomic oxygen erosion yield predictive tool (MISSE 2 PEACE data) | report | 2008 |
| Glentham GK2612 Polyacrylonitrile product datasheet | datasheet | 2026 |
| ChemicalBook polyacrylonitrile SDS | sds | 2026 |
| Scientific Reports 2021, electroconductive PAN/PANI composites (open access) | paper | 2021 |
Full record
The complete spore, as stored. Free to reuse under CC-BY-4.0. Images keep the licence shown with each one.
Show the full YAML
spore: profile
id: pan
spore_version: 0.2
family: engineering-polymers
name: Polyacrylonitrile
abbreviation: PAN
role: carbon fibre precursor and textile fibre polymer
category: polymers
type: acrylics
summary: |
Polyacrylonitrile is a vinyl polymer made from acrylonitrile. In the NASA MISSE 2 flight test on the outside of the ISS, a PAN sample had an atomic oxygen erosion yield of 1.41e-24 cm3/atom, close to the 1.37e-24 cm3/atom predicted by NASA's tool. Its glass transition is around 85 to 100 C, and it degrades near 300 C before it melts. Most of the world's carbon fibre is made from PAN.
best_for: Atomic-oxygen tolerance in low Earth orbit in the one flight data point collected here (NASA MISSE 2, about 3.95 years)
weakest_at: Only one flight result and one ground test of its erosion behaviour were found; no UV or thermal-cycling result for the neat polymer
identity:
formula: (CH2CHCN)n, polyacrylonitrile; repeat unit (C3H3N)n from acrylonitrile
cas: 25014-41-9
source: glentham-gk2612
where: Molecular formula and CAS number on the Glentham GK2612 datasheet; repeat unit from Wikipedia lead and infobox
tags:
environments:
- low-earth-orbit
stresses:
- atomic-oxygen
applications:
- structures
properties:
- benchmark: erosion_yield_atomic_oxygen
value: 1.41e-24
unit: cm3/atom
scope: material
conditions:
platform: ISS, MISSE 2, PEC 2 tray 1 (outside the Quest airlock)
fluence: 8.43e21 atoms/cm2
duration: about 3.95 years (2001-08-16 to 2005-07-30)
method: Measured flight erosion yield reported in the NASA predictive-tool report
status: flight
source: nasa-misse2-pan
where: Table I, MISSE 2 PEACE polymers erosion yield data, row Polyacrylonitrile
- benchmark: erosion_yield_atomic_oxygen
value: 1.37e-24
unit: cm3/atom
scope: material
conditions:
basis: NASA predictive tool, same report; compared with the MISSE 2 flight value
method: Predicted by the NASA predictive tool (a calculated value, not a test)
status: calculated
source: nasa-misse2-pan
where: Table of measured atomic oxygen erosion yields, Predicted column, row Polyacrylonitrile
- benchmark: density
value: 1.1435
unit: g/cm3
scope: material
conditions:
basis: reference density used by the NASA erosion tool; reference 12 in that report
method: Value printed in the NASA predictive-tool report density table
status: ground
source: nasa-misse2-pan
where: Table of polymer densities and ash mass fractions, row Polyacrylonitrile
- benchmark: density
value: 1.184
unit: g/cm3
scope: material
conditions:
basis: Wikipedia infobox, no temperature stated
method: Value printed in the infobox of the Wikipedia article
status: ground
source: wikipedia-pan
where: Infobox, Properties
- benchmark: density
value: 1.184
unit: g/mL
scope: material
conditions:
temperature: 25 C
grade: average Mw 150,000 (typical)
method: Printed on the supplier's property listing (Sigma-Aldrich product 181315)
status: ground
source: sigma-pan-181315
where: Physical properties, density (lit.)
- benchmark: density
value: 1.17
value_high: 1.18
unit: g/cm3
scope: material
conditions:
basis: Material overview, no temperature stated
method: Range printed on the Goodfellow material information page
status: ground
source: goodfellow-pan
where: Material Overview
- benchmark: glass_transition_temperature
value: 94
unit: °C
scope: material
conditions:
method_detail: DSC
grade: Sigma-Aldrich PAN, Mw 150,000, used as received
method: Differential scanning calorimetry value printed in a 2021 Scientific Reports paper (Table 3)
status: ground
source: sci-rep-pan-2021
where: Table 3, TgDSC, row PAN; text states The Tg for PAN is 94 C
- benchmark: glass_transition_temperature
value: 85
unit: °C
scope: material
conditions:
grade: average Mw 150,000 (typical)
method: Typical value printed on the Sigma-Aldrich property listing
status: ground
source: sigma-pan-181315
where: Physical properties, Tg
- benchmark: glass_transition_temperature
value: 85
value_high: 100
unit: °C
scope: material
conditions:
basis: range for PAN resins, no grade stated
method: Range printed in the Material Overview of the Goodfellow page
status: ground
source: goodfellow-pan
where: Material Overview
- benchmark: glass_transition_temperature
value: 95
unit: °C
scope: material
conditions:
basis: stated as around 95 C; no grade or method given
method: Value printed in the Physical properties section of the Wikipedia article
status: ground
source: wikipedia-pan
where: Physical properties
- benchmark: melting_point
value: 317
unit: °C
scope: material
conditions:
grade: average Mw 150,000 (typical)
method: Melting point printed on the Sigma-Aldrich property listing; the Wikipedia article says PAN degrades before melting
status: ground
source: sigma-pan-181315
where: Physical properties, Tm
- benchmark: tga_onset_t5
value: 321
unit: °C
scope: material
conditions:
method_detail: TGA, 5 percent weight loss (T5)
grade: Sigma-Aldrich PAN, Mw 150,000
method: Thermogravimetric value printed in Table 3 of a 2021 Scientific Reports paper
status: ground
source: sci-rep-pan-2021
where: Table 3, T5, row PAN
- benchmark: molecular_weight_average
value: 150000
unit: g/mol
scope: material
conditions:
basis: average molecular weight of the polymer as listed by the supplier, approximate
method: Printed on the Glentham GK2612 datasheet (approx. 150,000) and the Sigma-Aldrich listing (average Mw 150,000 typical)
status: ground
source: glentham-gk2612
where: Structure, Molecular Weight
risks:
hazards:
- text: 'Glentham datasheet for GK2612 polyacrylonitrile: not classified as hazardous under CLP and not classified as dangerous for transport.'
ghs: []
source: glentham-gk2612
where: Hazards and Transport
- text: 'ChemicalBook SDS for polyacrylonitrile (CB9199592): hazard classification and hazard statements both read no data available; first aid is given for inhalation, skin, eye and ingestion.'
ghs: []
source: chemicalbook-pan-sds
where: Sections 2 and 4
failure_risks:
- mode: Degradation before melting under heat
trigger: Heating above about 300 C
consequence: Onset of thermal degradation near 300 C; the sample in the Scientific Reports paper lost 0.8 percent of its weight at 300 C and was about 321 C at 5 percent loss.
severity: low
source: sci-rep-pan-2021
where: Table 3, weight loss at 300 C and T5
side_effects: []
handling:
- text: Glentham gives a recommended storage temperature of +20 C for the powder and a water content of 1.0 percent or less.
source: glentham-gk2612
where: Storage and Product Specification
mitigations: []
uses:
- application: structures
device: Precursor for carbon fibre
example: Wikipedia says PAN is used as the precursor for 90 percent of carbon fibre production.
source: wikipedia-pan
where: Applications, Carbon fiber
gaps:
- Only one sourced use was found. Textile fibre use is named in general but no fetched page with a printed value was read for it.
- 'Supply: no fetched source for who produces PAN or its share by country was found. The acrylonitrile feedstock and critical-mineral status were not checked.'
- UV, thermal-cycling and humidity effects on neat PAN were not found in a fetched source.
- Tensile strength and modulus values were not read from a fetched page. A search snippet gave ranges from patents, which are not used here.
- PubChem record could not be opened (blocked by a verification screen), so its GHS summary is not used.
- A second supplier SDS (Acros/Fisher) was found only as a search snippet and not fetched, so its irritation and cyanide statements are not used.
- Sigma-Aldrich product page and Merck page timed out, so the Sigma values come from a reseller copy (labor.com.tr).
- Atomic oxygen erosion yield for PAN is one flight data point (MISSE 2); no separate ground AO test was read.
sources:
nasa-misse2-pan:
title: Atomic Oxygen Erosion Yield Predictive Tool for Spacecraft Polymers in Low Earth Orbit
id: NASA/TM-2008-215490
url: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20090011780
year: 2008
kind: report
license: CC-BY-4.0
wikipedia-pan:
title: Polyacrylonitrile (Wikipedia)
id: Wikipedia, Polyacrylonitrile
url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyacrylonitrile
year: 2026
kind: web
license: CC-BY-SA-4.0
goodfellow-pan:
title: Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) powder material information
id: Goodfellow material information
url: https://www.goodfellow.com/usa/resources/polyacrylonitrile-pan-powder-material-information/
year: 2026
kind: datasheet
sci-rep-pan-2021:
title: Effect of polyaniline content and protonating dopants on electroconductive composites
id: Scientific Reports, 2021 (PMC8021568)
url: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8021568/
year: 2021
kind: paper
license: open access
sigma-pan-181315:
title: Sigma-Aldrich 181315 polyacrylonitrile, average Mw 150,000 (reseller copy of listing)
id: Sigma-Aldrich product 181315
url: https://www.labor.com.tr/en/product/sigma-aldrich-181315-polyacrylonitrile-average-mw-150-000-typical-100-gr
year: 2026
kind: datasheet
glentham-gk2612:
title: Glentham GK2612 Polyacrylonitrile, m.w. approx. 150,000 product datasheet
id: Glentham GK2612 (v1.0)
url: https://www.glentham.com/en/products/product/GK2612/datasheet
year: 2026
kind: datasheet
chemicalbook-pan-sds:
title: ChemicalBook polyacrylonitrile SDS (CB9199592)
id: CB9199592
url: https://www.chemicalbook.com/msds/polyacrylonitrile.htm
year: 2026
kind: datasheet
documents:
- title: NASA TM-2008-215490, atomic oxygen erosion yield predictive tool (MISSE 2 PEACE data)
type: report
url: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20090011780
year: 2008
- title: Glentham GK2612 Polyacrylonitrile product datasheet
type: datasheet
url: https://www.glentham.com/en/products/product/GK2612/datasheet
year: 2026
- title: ChemicalBook polyacrylonitrile SDS
type: sds
url: https://www.chemicalbook.com/msds/polyacrylonitrile.htm
year: 2026
- title: Scientific Reports 2021, electroconductive PAN/PANI composites (open access)
type: paper
url: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8021568/
year: 2021
license: CC-BY-4.0
updated: '2026-10-20'
review:
status: draft
method: assistant
checked_values: 13
unreachable: 4
caveats: 2
note: Read by an AI assistant on 2026-10-20 from pages fetched in this run. PubChem, Sigma product page and Merck page could not be opened.
story:
recipe:
line: Polyacrylonitrile is a vinyl polymer. Each repeat unit is one acrylonitrile monomer, CH2CHCN, polymerised by free-radical polymerisation.
parts:
- name: Carbon
symbol: C
atoms: 3
atomic_weight: 12.011
role: Backbone and nitrile carbon of each repeat unit.
- name: Hydrogen
symbol: H
atoms: 3
atomic_weight: 1.008
role: Backbone hydrogens of each repeat unit.
- name: Nitrogen
symbol: 'N'
atoms: 1
atomic_weight: 14.007
role: Nitrile group that gives PAN its polar side groups and its carbon-fibre chemistry.
risk_groups:
- title: For people
level: 0
verdict: Not classified hazardous
lead: The supplier datasheet says not classified; a second SDS gives no hazard data.
points:
- label: The polymer
line: The Glentham datasheet says not classified as hazardous under CLP. ChemicalBook prints no data available for hazard classification.
why: Polyacrylonitrile is a vinyl polymer made from acrylonitrile. Its glass transition sits near 85 to 100 C and it degrades near 300 C before melting. The MISSE 2 flight test gave an atomic oxygen erosion yield of 1.41e-24 cm3/atom.
uses:
- where: Carbon fibre
line: Wikipedia says PAN is used as the precursor for 90 percent of carbon fibre production.
compare: PAN is a high-glass-transition acrylic. Its atomic oxygen erosion yield of 1.41e-24 cm3/atom in MISSE 2 is in the same range as polystyrene and the other low-yield polymers in the NASA table. Its thermal behaviour is set by degradation near 300 C rather than melting. The table compares PAN with the other polymers in the collection.
compare_rows:
- label: Atomic oxygen erosion yield (flight)
benchmark: erosion_yield_atomic_oxygen
- label: Glass transition
benchmark: glass_transition_temperature
- label: Density
benchmark: density
handling:
- The powder is not classified as hazardous in the supplier datasheet. Keep it dry and store near 20 C.
- Heating above about 300 C causes degradation, so keep processing temperatures below that.
can_do:
- label: Strength
line: Survive the atomic oxygen of low Earth orbit with a small erosion yield in the MISSE 2 flight test (1.41e-24 cm3/atom).
- label: Serve as the precursor for most carbon fibre (Wikipedia
line: 90 percent).
good_for:
- Atomic oxygen tolerance in low Earth orbit. The MISSE 2 flight gave a yield of 1.41e-24 cm3/atom, close to the 1.37e-24 cm3/atom predicted.
- Carbon fibre precursor. Wikipedia says 90 percent of carbon fibre is made from PAN.
watch_out:
- Degradation near 300 C, below its melting point.
- Only one flight result and one predictive tool value were found for erosion; there is no UV or thermal-cycling result for neat PAN.
verdict: PAN is a useful reference for low-erosion polymers in low Earth orbit, with a single flight point and a well-established carbon-fibre route. Its UV and thermal-cycling behaviour are not yet supported by data in this file.
References
Every number above carries a reference number. Click one to see the source and where in it the value comes from.
| # | Source | Type | Year | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atomic Oxygen Erosion Yield Predictive Tool for Spacecraft Polymers in Low Earth Orbit | report | 2008 | 3 values | |
| Polyacrylonitrile (Wikipedia) | web | 2026 | 3 values | |
| Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) powder material information | datasheet | 2026 | 2 values | |
| Effect of polyaniline content and protonating dopants on electroconductive composites | paper | 2021 | 3 values | |
| Sigma-Aldrich 181315 polyacrylonitrile, average Mw 150,000 (reseller copy of listing) | datasheet | 2026 | 3 values | |
| Glentham GK2612 Polyacrylonitrile, m.w. approx. 150,000 product datasheet | datasheet | 2026 | 4 values | |
| ChemicalBook polyacrylonitrile SDS (CB9199592) | datasheet | 2026 | 1 value |