Polyetherimide polymer for use as a high heat fiber material

A process for making polymer fiber, the process comprising:

• melting a polymer consisting of polyetherimide to a melt temperature that ranges from about 180° C. to about 500° C., to produce a molten polyetherimide;
• passing the molten polyetherimide through a filter with at least one filter screen wherein each of the at least one filter screen has holes greater than about 25 microns;
• passing the filtered molten polyetherimide through a spinneret comprising a plurality of hole openings to produce a fiber bundle, wherein the filtered molten polymer is substantially free of foreign particulate matter having a size greater than about 25 μm in size and greater than or equal to 50% of the diameter of the fiber;
• and
• cooling the fiber bundle with a gaseous cooling medium, the cooling medium having a temperature that ranges from about 0° C. to about 80° C. and a substantially uniform velocity distribution, to produce fiber.