High-performance parts made of virgin polybenzimidazole (PBI), Celazole ® U-60, and its lube grade variant (DL-80) are currently being used commercially in industrial applications, and with the advent of melt processable grades the material is now entering its bid for automotive parts applications. PBI's are a class of highly stable (both thermally and chemically) heterocyclic polymers prepared by the melt- condensation of bis-ortho-diamine and aromatic dicarboxylates (such as acids, esters or amides). The result is a highly stable structure ( Figure 1 ) that --- depending on the application and duration --- can withstand temperatures as high as 430 ° C, and in short bursts, to 760 ° C. On the other end, PBI maintains its properties in temperatures as low as -196 ° C.