Refractory fiber preparation with use of high humidity atmosphere

A process for the preparation of a fibre comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a fibrizing composition comprising an aqueous polar solvent solution of a metal compound and a water-soluble organic polymer, wherein the molecular weight of the polymer is from 10.sup.3 to 10.sup.7, the viscosity of the solution is from 1 to 100 poise, the metal of the said metal compound is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, iron, zirconium, titanium, beryllium, chromium, magnesium, thorium, uranium, yttrium, nickel, vanadium, manganese, molybdenum, tungsten and cobalt, and the proportion by weight of the metal compound is greater than the proportion by weight of the organic polymer;
• b. extruding the said fibrizing composition through one or more apertures into at least two gas streams which have vapour of the said solvent mixed therewith to produce a relative humidity of at least 80%, said gas streams having a component of high velocity in the direction of travel of the extruded fibrizing composition and said gas streams converging at or near the point where the fibrizing composition is extruded from the apertures, whereby discontinuous lengths of fibres are produced;
• and
• c. removing at least part of the said polar solvent from the fibre thereby formed.