Effect of surface modification of fibers with a polymer coating on the interlaminar shear strength of a composite and the translation of fiber strength in an F-12 aramid/epoxy composite vessel

The surface of aramid fibers was modified with a polymer coating — a surface treatment reagent containing epoxy resin. The resulting fibers were examined by using NOL tests, hydroburst tests, and the scanning electron microscopy. The modified fibers had a rougher surface than the untreated ones. The interlaminar shear strength of an aramid-fiber-reinforced epoxy composite was highest when the concentration of polymer coating system was 5%. The translation of fiber strength in an aramid/epoxy composite vessel was improved by 8%. The mechanism of the surface treatment of fibers in improving the mechanical properties of aramid/epoxy composites is discussed. Russian translation publeshed in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 42, No. 6, pp. 729–738, November–December, 2006.     

Long-Term Creep of Hybrid Aramid/Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Plastics

The results of experimental investigation of the long-term creep of SVM aramid fibers, EDT-10 epoxy resin, aramid-epoxy FRP (fiber-reinforced plastics), glass-epoxy FRP, and aramid/glass-epoxy hybrid FRP with different volume fractions of aramid and glass fibers are presented. The long-term tests were continued for 50,000 h (5.7 years). A structural approach for predicting the long-term creep from the properties and content of the components is considered. The effect of hybridization (partial replacement of the aramid fibers by glass fibers) on the inelastic deformation of hybrid FRP is discussed. The redistribution of stresses in the components during long-term creep of the hybrid composites is analyzed.     

Dynamic compressive strength of epoxy composites

The strength of laminated and unidirectionally reinforced composite materials was investigated in conditions of dynamic uniaxial compression with a strain rate of 50–1000 sec^–1 using the split Hopkinson pressure bar method. It was shown that in conditions of dynamic compression, glass/epoxy, aramid/epoxy, and carbon/epoxy composites exhibit elastic-brittle behavior with anisotropy of the strength and elastic properties. The effect of the strain rate on the strength characteristics of fiberglass-reinforced plastics was demonstrated.Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 31, No. 6, pp. 776–782, November–December, 1995.Presented at the Ninth International Conference on the Mechanics of Composite Materials (Riga, October, 1995).     

Polypropylene reinforced with aramid and glass fibers

The effect of the chemical nature of the aramid fibers Phenylone, Terlon, Armos, and SVM on the mechanical, thermophysical, and antifriction properties of reinforced polypropylene was investigated. It was found that the composite filled with SVM fibers based on a stiff-chain polymer has high tensile strength and bending modulus. Reinforcement of polypropylene with Phenylone stiff-chain fibers produces a composite with a high impact viscosity. Organoplastics based on polypropylene and aramid fibers have a low density and friction coefficient and high durability. Reinforcement of polypropylene with aramid (SVM) and glass fibers increases the technological properties of the composites. The glass-filled organoplastics developed can be used in instrument making, radio engineering, and machine building as antifriction and construction materials.Ukrainian State Chemical Technological University, Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, No. 1, pp. 106–110, January–February, 1996.     

Strength of adhesion of epoxy polymer to carbon,glass, and steel fibers

A study has been made of the strength of adhesion of epoxy polymer to fibers of various chemical natures, and it has been shown that the magnitude of the adhesion depends not only on the nature of the fiber but also on its surface geometry. Questions are discussed on the effect of residual (internal) stresses arising during the process of heat-treating or cooling samples of bonded articles on the strength of the adhesive bond.Institute of Chemical Physics, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 1, pp. 37–42, January–February, 1974.     

Strength of boron fibers

The tensile and flexural strength and elastic properties of continuous boron fibers 95–105 µ in diameter obtained by depositing boron on a tungsten filament 10–12 µ in diameter have been investigated. The strength properties are primarily determined by the defects present at the boron sheath-core interface and for the fibers investigated have a limit of approximately 400 kgf/mm². Coarse surface or internal defects are capable of reducing the strength of the fibers to 200–250 kfg/mm².All-Union Scientific-Research Institute of Aviation Materials, Moscow. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 6, pp. 1126–1127, November–December, 1970.     

Compaction and Consolidation of Aramid and Composite Fibers. 1. Compaction of Aramid Fibers

The transverse compaction and consolidation of various aramid fibers used as a reinforcement of plastics are studied with the aim to assess the behavior of the fibers during their processing. The transverse deformation of fiber bundles is considered in the context of viscoplastic flow of the fiber-forming polymer squeezed out into the interfiber space upon the contact interaction of the fibers. This process is analyzed as a flow of a polymer melt having a certain viscosity. A gradual increase in the viscosity with development of transverse deformations is revealed, which corresponds to the morphology of fibers of the skin-core type. It is found that, under these conditions, the transverse deformation and sintering of Terlon fibers are insignificant compared with that of SVM fibers, therefore, they are preferably used for reinforcing heat-resistant thermoplastics.     

Interaction at the Interface of Phosphorus-Containing Carbon Fibers and Diglycidil Ether of Bisphenol-A

Two-component blends of phosphorus-containing carbon fibers (PCF) and diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) are investigated. It is found that PCF are better wetted by the epoxy oligomer considered than unmodified carbon fibers. It is stated that the equilibrium work of adhesion of the epoxy oligomer to PCF increases considerably. Heating the two-component blends is accompanied by conversion of epoxy groups and formation of a gel-fraction nonextractable from the fiber surface. The investigation results indicate that chemical bonds are formed at the fiber-oligomer interface, which causes grafting of the DGEBA immediately to the surface of PCF without the use of intermediate compositions usually employed in such cases. It is shown that a transition layer is formed whose morphology differs from that of the fibers and polymer in the blend volume.     

Effect of boundary-layer processes on the strength of glass-reinforced plastics

It is shown experimentally that the strength of glass-reinforced plastics is determined by the properties of the resin close to the fibers; these depend on the structure and chemical composition of the fiber surface. A study is made of the effect of modification of the glass fiber on curing conditions in the layer next to the fiber for a number of resins (K9 silicone resin, ED-6 epoxy resin, polyacrylate-911, and furfural PF resin).Mekhanika polimerov, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 26–35, 1965     

Morphological characteristics of carbon fibers

Scanning electron microscopy has been used to study the surface, before and after thermochemical treatment, and the fracture sites of PAN carbon fibers heat-treated at 2100°C. The fractographs are analyzed in an attempt to estimate the effect of various defects on the strength of PAN carbon fibers.All-Union Scientific-Research and Design-Technological Institute of Electro-Carbon Products, Moscow Region. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 1, pp. 158–160, January–February, 1976.     

Glass-reinforced plastics based on matrices combining thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics

The conditions of fabrication and the physicomechanical properties of glass-reinforced plastics based on polysulfone combined in different ratios with epoxy resin and Rolivsan were investigated. It was found that realization of the strength of the fibers in glass-reinforced plastics based on three types of binders and mixtures of them at room temperature is approximately the same. The lower strength of glass-reinforced plastics based on polysulfone is determined by the lower concentration of fibers. Modification of thermosetting plastics with polysulfone significantly increases (by 5–8 times) the specific energy of delamination of the glass-reinforced plastics G_1c, which should be manifested by an increase in their crack resistance and other operating characteristics. Modification of ED-20 with polysulfone and polysulfone with Rolivsan significantly increases the glass transition temperature of the polymer and affects the character of the temperature curves of the strength of the glass-reinforced plastics.Institute of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow. D. I. Mendeleev Russian Chemical Technological University, Moscow. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, No. 1, pp. 111–117, January–February, 1996.     

Effect of the morphology of the organic fibers on the mechanical behavior of composites

Scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction analysis are used to study the morphology of several aramid and polyimide fibers developed in Russia and to determine their strain-strength characteristics. It is shown that the supermolecular structure of the fiber in large part determines the character of its interaction with the matrix and behavior during failure of the fiber composite (FCP). In the case of aramid fibers, composite failure is accompanied by intensive fibrillation leading to lamination on a microscopic scale and a deterioration in the service characteristics of the composite. The stability of the investigated polyimide fibers against fibrillation and microlamination, in combination with good heat resistance, makes them promising as reinforcing materials for FCPs.Submitted for the Tenth International Conference on the Mechanics of Composites (Riga, April 1998).Institute of High-Molecular-Weight Compounds of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg, Russia) and the Khimvolokno Scientific-Industrial Association (Mytishchi, Russia). Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 33, No. 5, 656–669, September–October, 1997.     

Ductility of nonmetallic hybrid fiber composite reinforcement for concrete

Reinforcing units, FRP, of unidirectional fiber composites for concrete have elastic behavior up to tensile failure. For safety reasons an elongation of 3% at maximum load is usually required for the reinforcement. Ductile behavior with the necessary elongation and stress hardening could be obtained with braided fiber strands around a core of foam plastic, thin glass fiber cylindrical shell, or unidirectional carbon fibers. Braids around a porous core reveal the ductility when epoxy resin breaks up and collapse of core enables the braids to rotate. The same seems to happen at that cross section, where carbon fiber core breaks in tension. The best result is obtained using a cylindrical glass fiber reinforced core shell surrounded with aramid fiber braid.Presented at the Ninth International Conference on the Mechanics of Composite Materials, Riga, October, 1995.Division of Building Materials, Chalmers University of Technology, S412 96 Göteborg, Sweden. Institute of Polymer Mechanics, Latvian Academy of Sciences, Riga, LV-1006 Latvia. Published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 32, No. 2, pp. 167–179, March–April, 1996.     

Strength properties of unidirectionally reinforced hybrid composites

Conclusions Experiments were carried out with several types of unidirectionally reinforced hybrid composites (organic fiberglass plastic, organic carbon-reinforced plastic, organic boron-reinforced plastic, and carbon fiberglass plastic) with various ratios of the volume content of the fibers in various modes of simple quasistatic loading. It is shown that the strength of the examined materials in the plane stress state can be described phenomenologically by the polynomial criterion of strength with the components of the tensors of the strength surface depending on the structural parameters. The result can be used to predict (carry out interpolation calculations) the strength of the above-mentioned composites within the examined ranges of the volume content of the reinforcing fibers to optimize the selection of the type and ratio of the content of various fibers in the hybrid composite taking into account specific requirements on the strength properties of the material in the structures.Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, No. 1, pp. 35–41, January–February, 1984.     

The scale effect and the statistical theory of strength of polymer coatings

As a result of normal tensile tests on coatings based on ED-6 epoxy resin and kapron applied to a metal surface it has been established that the fracture is brittle in character and accompanied by a scale effect and a regular distribution of the strength values for specimens of the same type. It is shown that the data obtained are all in good agreement with the statistical theory of strength.State All-Union Scientific-Research Technological Institute for the Repair and Maintenance of Tractors and Agricultural Machinery, Moscow. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 4, No. 5, pp. 839–843, September–October, 1968.     

A study of the causes of the reduced strength of glass-reinforced phenolformaldehyde plastics

A study of the curing kinetics of phenolformaldehyde resin in the presence of glass and quartz has shown that one of the chief causes of the reduced strength of glass-reinforced plastics based on phenol-formal-dehyde resin is the difference in the rate and degree of cure in layers close to the fibers and in the bulk of the resin. This is caused by the presence on the surface of the fibers of a hydrate sheath with increased concentration of hydroxyl ions and by the presence of hydrogen bonds between the oxyphenyl groups of the resin and the silanol groups on the surface of the fibers. Chemical treatment of the glass fibers has the effect of diminishing those factors responsible for the reduced rate and degree of cure, and in spite of the lower surface energy of the fibers, the strength of the glass-reinforced plastic increases.Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 1, No. 3. pp. 8–14, 1965     

Effect of thermal treatment temperature on the structure and properties of carbon fibers

Conclusions 1. It has been shown that the presence of a maximum in the dependence of strength on Young's modulus for carbon fibers made from PAN fiber may be explained by an effect of the process of temperature stress accumulation which takes place under the conditions of isometric heating. The start of this process, which causes a rearrangement of the internal structure of the high-modulus fiber, coincides with the start of the anomalous rise in fiber density.2. The interconnection between surface and internal defects and the elastic-strength properties of carbon fibers made in the temperature treatment range 600–3000°C has been studied.3. Original data on the elastic-strength properties of borided carbon fibers have been obtained; the structure of these is marked by a high degree of perfection. It has been shown that in boriding, which facilitates graphitization of the carbon, the process of regular reduction in fiber strength which is reached in the precrystallization stage is somewhat retarded.All-Union Scientific-Research Institute of Aviation Materials, Moscow. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 6, pp. 1036–1042, November–December, 1976.     

Possibilities of a nondestructive one-parameter method of checking the strength of anisotropic glass-reinforced plastics in uniaxial compression

A nondestructive method of checking the strength of glass-reinforced plastics (GRP) in finished products is proposed. This method is based on the correlation, investigated by the authors, between the modulus of elasticity and the compressive strength determined by a standard method. Various orientations in the plane of reinforcement of glass-reinforced plastics with different ratios of the orthogonally arranged fibers are investigated. It is proposed to determine the modulus of elasticity from the propagation velocity of an ultrasonic pulse measured under conditions of one-sided access to the surface of the product."Ritm" Research-Production Association, Leningrad. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 5, pp. 909–919, September–October, 1974.     

Compaction and Consolidation of Aramid and Composite Fibers. 2. Consolidation of Composite Fibers

The transverse compaction and consolidation of composite fibers obtained from blends of rigid-chain aromatic polyamides and a thermoplastic polycaproamide PA-6 are investigated with the aim to predict the fiber behavior during their compression and processing into plastics. Introduction of the aliphatic polyamide PA-6 into aramid fibers considerably increases their transverse compliance and promotes their sintering. A method for calculating the viscosity of the thermoplastic in the interfiber space from the ratio between the volumetric rate of compaction and the porosity of the material is proposed. It is found that the effective viscosity of the PA-6 melt, during its flow in the thin interfibrillar layers under compression, grows with decrease in its content in the composite fibers.     

Determination of adhesive strength in a thermoplastic-resin-thin-fiber system

Conclusion A method was developed for determining adhesive strength in thermoplastic-material—thin-fiber systems formed from a melt. Values of _o were determined for joints between PSF and PC On the one hand and high-modulus organic fibers on the other hand. We studied the dependence of the bond strength on the temperature at which the contact is formed, the area of the contact, and the condition of the surface. The adhesion of PC and PSF to organic polyamide fibers is good enough to make it unnecessary to develop adhesives or specially modify the fiber surfaces for the production of organic-fiber-reinforced plastics. The low shear strength of laminated plastics based on thermoplastic resins is evidently due to the small area of actual contact, which is in turn a consequence of the poor wetting and impregnation of the fiber filler by the melt.Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, No. 1, pp. 9–12, January–February, 1990.