Composite fibers of potassium hexatitanate and titanium dioxide

摘要

A platelike polycrystalline fiber having a composite phase which consists of potassium hexatitanate crystals and titanium dioxide crystals mixed therewith is prepared by heating a mixture of titanium compound and potassium compound to obtain a melt, cooling the melt to obtain a lump of fibers, treating the lump of fibers in an aqueous acid solution to control the potassium content of the fibers to 1 to 13.5 weight %, and heat-treating the resulting fibers at 900 DEG to 1300 DEG C. The composite fiber is suitable as fibers to be included in friction materials for slide members of automobiles and like brake devices.