Asbestos reinforced with 11-47% polyphenylene sulfide is 2.5-8 times more stable than plain asbestos or asbestos-brucite composites of equivalent composition when aged in boiling concentrated alkali. SEM and Ir spectroscopy show that asbestos hydrolysis is the main cause of material loss. Composites pressed between electrodes at 1 A/cm2 in 95 °C 50% KOH however undergo principal mechanical erosion and the minimum poly phenylene sulfide load to achieve satisfactory performance is ∼ 29%.
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