The effect of interphase modification on carbon fiber/polyarylacetylene resin composites

Interfacial modification for carbon fiber (CF) reinforced polyarylacetylene (PAA) resin, a kind of non-polar, was investigated. The high carbon phenolic resin was used as coating to treat the surface of CF after oxidation. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) with force modulation mode was used to analyze the interphase of composite. The interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and mechanical properties of CF/PAA composites were also measured. It was found that the CF/PAA composites treated with oxidation and coating after oxidation had transition area between carbon fiber and PAA resin. The existence of transition area led to the improvement of interfacial performance of composites. Specially, the thickness and stiffness of interphase of composite treated with coating after oxidation were more suitable for CF/PAA composites. Thus, the composite treated with coating after oxidation had the highest value of ILSS and the best mechanical properties.     

Effect of Fiber Surface Modification on the Interfacial and Mechanical Properties of Kenaf Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastic and Thermosetting Polymer Composites

The surfaces of kenaf fibers were treated with three different silane coupling agents. 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxy silane (GPS), 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane (APS), and 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxy silane (MPS). Among them, the most effective one for the property improvement was GPS when it was applied to the kenaf fiber surfaces at 0.5 wt%. Thermoplastic polypropylene (PP) and thermosetting unsaturated polyester (UPE) matrix composites with chopped kenaf fibers untreated and treated at different GPS concentrations from 0.1 wt% to 5 wt% were fabricated using compression molding technique. The present study demonstrates that the interfacial, flexural, tensile, and dynamic mechanical properties of both kenaf/PP and kenaf/UPE composites importantly depend on the GPS treatments done at different concentrations. The greatest property improvement of both thermoplastic and thermosetting polymer composites was obtained with the silane treatment at 0.5 wt% and the mechanical properties were comparable with E-glass composites prepared the same polymer matrix under the corresponding fiber length and fiber loading. The results also agreed with each other with regard to their interfacial shear strength, flexural properties, tensile properties, storage modulus, with support of fracture surfaces of the composites.     

Effects of γ-ray radiation grafting on aramid fibers and its composites

Armos fiber was modified by Co⁶⁰ γ-ray radiation in the different concentrations’ mixtures of phenol-formaldehyde and ethanol. Interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) was examined to characterize the effects of the treatment upon the interfacial bonding properties of Armos fibers/epoxy resin composites. The results showed that the ILSS of the composite, whose fibers were treated by 500 kGy radiation in 1.5 wt% PF, was improved by 25.4%. Nanoindentation technique analysis showed that the nanohardnesses of the various phases (the fiber, the interface and the matrix) in the composite, whose fibers were treated, were correspondingly higher than those in the composite, whose fibers were untreated. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrum confirmed the increase in the polar groups at the fibers’ surface. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) results revealed that the surface of the fibers treated was rougher than that of the fibers untreated. The wettability of the fibers’ surface was also enhanced by the treatment. The conclusion that γ-ray irradiation grafting significantly improved the surface properties of Armos fibers could be drawn.     

Enhanced surface free energy of polyimide fibers by alkali treatment and its interfacial adhesion behavior to epoxy resins

In this article, polyimide (PI) fibers were modified by alkali treatment, and PI fiber-reinforced epoxy composites were fabricated. The effects of different alkali treatment times on the surface properties of the PI fibers and the adhesion behaviors of PI fiber/epoxy composites were studied. The surface morphologies, chemical compositions, mechanical properties, and surface free energy of the PI fibers were characterized by atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, single-fiber tensile strength analysis, and dynamic contact angle analysis, respectively. The results show that alkali treatment plays an important role in the improvement of the surface free energy and the wettability of PI fibers. We also found that, after the 3 min, 30 °C, 20 wt% NaOH solution treatment, the fibers possessed good mechanical properties and surface activities, and the interlaminar shear strength of the composites increased to 64.52 MPa, indicating good interfacial adhesion properties.     

Effects of fibre surface treatment on fracture-mechanical properties of sisal-fibre composites

Sisal fibre reinforced composites, one class of a broad range of eco-composite materials, were studied in connection with the effects of fibre surface treatment on their fracture-mechanical properties. Previous investigations on sisal fibre and its composites have been fully reviewed [1], which provided an impetus for this research. Two fibre surface treatment methods, chemical coupling based on silane and oxidization based on permanganate and dicumyl peroxide, together with untreated sisal fiber composites were used to set up different levels of interface bonding strength. The interface effects on the mechanical properties and fracture toughness of sisal fibre reinforced vinyl-ester composites were completely assessed based on the test results obtained and theoretical analyses. Many aspects of studies reported in this paper are original, such as single fiber pull-out tests and toughness evaluation of sisal composites aided by scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that fibre surface treatment could improve interfacial bonding properties between sisal fibre and vinylester resin. These in turn influenced the fracture-mechanical characteristics of this class of ecocomposites.     

Ultrasonic treatment of aramid fiber surface and its effect on the interface of aramid/epoxy composites

Aramid fiber/epoxy composites have been treated by ultrasound during the winding process to enhance the adhesion. According to the ultrasonic treatment interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of composites has been greatly improved. Dynamic wetting method, XPS and AFM are used to examine the microscopic properties of resultant composites. The enhanced ILSS is attributed to the ultrasonic cavitation, which improves the wetting between aramid fibers and resins.     

Enhancements in crystallinity,thermal stability,tensile modulus and strength of sisal fibres and their PP composites induced by the synergistic effects of alkali and high intensity ultrasound (HIU) treatments

In this investigation, sisal fibres were treated with the combination of alkali and high intensity ultrasound (HIU) and their effects on the morphology, thermal properties of fibres and mechanical properties of their reinforced PP composites were studied. FTIR and FE-SEM results confirmed the removal of amorphous materials such as hemicellulose, lignin and other waxy materials after the combined treatments of alkali and ultrasound. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed an increase in the crystallinity of sisal fibres with an increase in the concentration of alkali. Thermogravimetric results revealed that the thermal stability of sisal fibres obtained with the combination of both alkali and ultrasound treatment was increased by 38.5 °C as compared to the untreated fibres. Morphology of sisal fibre reinforced composites showed good interfacial interaction between fibres and matrix after the combined treatment. Tensile properties were increased for the combined treated sisal fibres reinforced PP composites as compared to the untreated and pure PP. Tensile modulus and strength increased by more than 50% and 10% respectively as compared to the untreated sisal fibre reinforced composite. It has been found that the combined treatment of alkali and ultrasound is effective and useful to remove the amorphous materials and hence to improve the mechanical and thermal properties.     

An AFM study of the effect of chemical treatments on the surface microstructure and adhesion properties of flax fibres

The mechanical properties of fibre-reinforced polymer composites are largely dependant on the adhesion between the matrix and the fibre. In order to enhance the interaction between flax fibres and unsaturated polyester resins, raw fibres were chemically modified using sodium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide plus acetic anhydride and formic acid-based treatments. The physical properties of the modified fibres were investigated by means of the atomic force microscopy. At first, the morphological analysis of the surfaces shows that after the chemical treatments, the fibres surface appear to be less heterogeneous in topology and smoother. Nonetheless, no significant roughness difference was found between the different treatments. Secondly, adhesion forces measurements were performed between a standard AFM silicon nitride tip and the fibres. The adhesion forces were found to vary according to the chemical treatment. The sodium hydroxide-based treatment was found to increase the adhesion force between the fibre and the AFM tip whereas the lowest adhesion force was found for the formic acid- based treated fibre. These results were attributed to the different hydrophilic character of the modified fibres. Due to the importance of the water layer adsorbed on the fibres, the adhesion forces between the AFM tip and the different samples are found to be mainly dominated by capillary forces in relation with the fibre's surface hydrophilicity.     

Studies on short isora fibre-reinforced polyester composites

This paper reports the use of a natural fibre, isora, as reinforcement in unsaturated polyester resin. Isora is a bast fibre separated from the bark of Helicteres isora plant by retting process. Properties like tensile strength, flexural strength etc. have been studied as a function of fibre length and fibre loading using treated and untreated fibre. The mechanical properties were found to be optimum at a fibre length of 30 mm and a fibre loading of 30% by volume. The effects of alkali treatment on the fibre properties were investigated by SEM, IR and TGA. The mechanical performance of the treated isora fibre-reinforced polyester composites has also been investigated. SEM studies were carried out to investigate the fibre surface morphology, fibre pull-out and fibre–polyester interface bonding. SEM gave evidence for the changes that had occurred on the fibre surface during chemical treatment. The properties were found to be superior for the composite reinforced with treated fibre compared to the untreated fibre.     

Improved mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced PTFE composites by growing graphene oxide on carbon fiber surface

The mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites depend upon fiber-matrix interfacial properties. To improve the mechanical properties of ?bers/PTFE composites without sacri?cing tensile strength of ?bers, graphene oxide (GO) was introduced onto the surface of CFs by chemical vapour deposition (CVD). This hybrid coating increased the wettability and surface roughness of carbon fibers, which led to improved affinity between the carbon fibers and PTFE matrix. The resulting hybrid-coated carbon fiber-reinforced composites showed an enhancement in the short beam strength compared to un-coated carbon fiber composites. Meanwhile, a signi?cant increase of interlaminar shear strength (ILSS), interface shear strength tests (IFSS) and impact property were achieved in the 5-min-modi?ed CFs.     

The effect of the microstructure of porous alumina films on the mechanical properties of glass-fiber-reinforced aluminum laminates

The glass-fiber-reinforced aluminum laminates were obtained by anodizing aluminum alloy under anodizing voltage of 10, 20, and 30?V in the 200?g/L H₃PO₄ electrolyte. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), short beam, and tensile tests were employed to determine the surface morphology, interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and tensile strength of laminates, respectively. The results also show that the epoxy penetrates into the pores of the anodic films, and this is the mechanism of adhesion. The ILSS and tensile strength of the anodized specimens (under 20?V) respectively increased by approximately 50 and 15% comparing with those of the non-anodized specimens. This increase of mechanical properties results from the porous surface of aluminum providing greater mechanical interlocking to epoxy. The ILSS and tensile strengths of the anodized specimens increased with the increase of anodizing voltage from 10 to 20?V; however, it decreased when the voltage further increased to 30?V. It is considered that the microstructure evolution of the porous films has a significant effect on the mechanical properties of the laminates.     

Studies on interfacial adhesion in unidirectional isora fibre reinforced polyester composites

Unidirectional isora fibre reinforced polyester composites were prepared by compression moulding. Isora is a natural bast fibre separated from the Helicteres isora plant by a retting process. The effect of alkali treatment on the thermal properties of the fibre was studied using TGA, DTA and DSC in oxygen and nitrogen atmosphere. Mechanical properties like tensile strength, Young's modulus, flexural strength, flexural modulus and impact strength of the composites containing untreated and alkali-treated fibres have been studied as a function of fibre loading. The optimum loading for tensile properties of the composite containing untreated fibre was found to be 45% by volume and on alkalization of the fibre, the optimum loading increased to 66%. For flexural properties the loading was optimized at about 56% and 66%, for the composites containing untreated and alkali treated fibres, respectively. From DMA studies it was observed that the alkali-treated fibre composites have higher E′ and E″ values compared to untreated fibre composites. From swelling studies in styrene it was observed that the mole percent uptake of the solvent by the treated fibre composites is less than by the untreated fibre composites. From these results it can be concluded that in composites containing alkalized fibres there is enhanced interfacial adhesion between the fibre and the matrix leading to better properties, compared to untreated fibre composites.     

Surface Modification of Para-Aramid Fiber by Direct Fluorination and its Effect on the Interface of Aramid/Epoxy Composites

Surface modification of a para-aramid fiber (DAFIII) was performed by direct fluorination. The properties of treated and untreated fibers were characterized and compared in detail by mechanical testing, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy characterization, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis and static contact angle measurements. The results showed that little damage of the fiber occurred after direct fluorine treatment, and the content of polar groups on the fibers surfaces were increased significantly, which resulted in a lower value of contact angle. The interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of DAFIII fiber/epoxy composites and the tensile strength of NOL-ring specimens increased by 33% and 12%, increasing to 56.2 MPa and 2340 MPa, respectively, which indicated that the interfacial adhesion between the matrix and the aramid fiber was improved significantly by the fluorination treatment. Further tests showed that the durability of the direct fluorination treatment on the aramid fiber was also satisfactory.     

In situ surface modification of natural fiber by conducting polyaniline

Newly modified biofibers made up of kenaf fibers (KF) and conducting polyaniline (PANI) were successfully prepared via in situ polymerization. Several characterization methods were done to elucidate the interaction between the KF surfaces and the in situ polymerized PANI. The PANI coated KF (KF/PANI) achieved new electronic properties, without sacrificing its mechanical properties and natural fiber characteristic. Initial mercerization on the KF yielded better PANI coated fibers compared to the untreated KF. Fiber bundle tensile test on the untreated KF/PANI revealed a drop in the unit break of about 48% compared to the untreated neat KF. Meanwhile, the mercerized KF/PANI showed reduction of about 17% compared to the uncoated mercerized KF. The mercerized KF/PANI exhibits polaronic transitions, existence of favorable IR peaks and Raman scattering, enhanced DC conductivity, and better morphological characteristic as a result of the in situ PANI coating. Such electronically modified natural fibers could be suitable as green conducting fillers in composites to replace other synthetic fibers.     

Weibull analysis of microbond shear strength at sisal fibre–polyester resin interfaces

An analysis has been made of the tensile strength of sisal fibres and the interfacial adhesion between fibres and polyester resin droplets. Density and microscopy methods were used to determine the cross-sectional area of the sisal fibres. The average tensile strength of treated sisal fibres decreased by a modest amount following treatment with 0.06 M NaOH. However, this treatment resulted in a substantial increase in the interfacial shear strength at the sisal fibre to polyester resin interface. Weibull analysis has been used successfully to analyse variability in tensile strengths and interfacial shear strength using probability of failure plots. Scanning electron microscopy has revealed the shape of resin droplets on the surface of treated and untreated sisal fibres and contact angles are much lower for droplets on treated fibres. Damage to the surface of fibres has been examined following shear testing. Weibull analysis is an effective tool for characterising highly variable fibre properties and evaluating the level of adhesion between polymer resin and the fibre surface.     

Influence of γ-ray radiation grafting on interfacial properties of aramid fibers and epoxy resin composites

This research used Co⁶⁰ γ-ray radiation to modify Armos fibers in 1,2-epoxy-3-chloropropane. After the treatment, the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) values of aramid/epoxy composites were improved by about 20%. Surface elements of Armos fibers were determined by XPS analysis, which indicated that the oxygen/carbon ratio was increased. The surface of the fibers treated was rougher than that of the untreated fibers when examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra confirmed that the epoxy group was grafted onto the fibers. The wettability of the fibers' surface was also enhanced by the treatment. Nanoindentation technique analysis showed that the nanohardnesses of the various phases (the fiber, the interface and the matrix) in the composite, whose fibers were treated, were correspondingly higher than those in the composite, whose fibers were untreated. The results indicate that γ-ray irradiation grafting technique, which is a suitable batch process for industrialization, can modify the physicochemical properties of Armos fibers and improve the interfacial adhesion of its composite.     

Kenaf/polypropylene biocomposites: effects of electron beam irradiation and alkali treatment on kenaf natural fibers

Thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of kenaf natural fiber reinforced polypropylene (PP) biocomposites were examined to compare the effects of natural fiber treatment by electron beam irradiation (EBI) and alkalization. The alpha cellulose contents, the functional groups on the surfaces and the thermal stability of the untreated and treated kenaf fibers were studied. Kenaf fiber/polypropylene(PP) biocomposites were fabricated by means of a compression molding technique using chopped kenaf fibers treated with electron beam (EB) dosages of 100, 200, 500 kGy or with NaOH concentrations of 2, 5, 10 wt%, respectively. The thermal stability, the dynamic mechanical and the interfacial properties of untreated and treated kenaf/PP biocomposites were also investigated through a thermogravimetric analysis, a dynamic mechanical analysis and a fractographic observation, respectively. The results show that the characteristics of kenaf fibers and biocomposites depended on the different treatment level with the EB dosages or on the NaOH concentrations used. In this study, the modification of kenaf fiber surfaces at 200 kGy EBI and treatment with 5 wt% NaOH was most effective for improving the performance of kenaf/PP biocomposites. This study suggests that EBI can be used for modification of natural fiber as an environmentally friendly process and contribute to an improvement in the performances of kenaf/PP biocomposites.     

Influence of carbon fiber’s surface state on interlaminar shear properties of CFRP laminate

In order to investigate the influence of carbon fiber’s surface state on the interlaminar shear properties of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) laminate, the carbon fiber’s surface state was modified by thermal treatment at elevated temperatures. The interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of CFRP laminates reinforced with treated fibers was measured by means of short-beam shear test, and the surface state of fiber was characterized by Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA) analysis to reveal the dominate factor for controlling the ILSS. Combining the ILSS measurement with the ESCA analysis, the results indicated that: (1) the ILSS is strongly dependent on the oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface of carbon fiber; (2) the fiber treated at 600?°C has the highest oxygen-containing functional groups that lead to the highest ILSS of CFRP; and (3) at temperatures beyond 600?°C, the oxygen-containing functional groups decrease with increasing the heat treatment temperature, resulting in a low ILSS of CFRP laminates. Furthermore, from the microstructure observation, it was found that the CFRP mainly failed in the mode of multi-interlaminar shear. The multi-interlaminar shear failure in the CFRP laminates with low ILSS is more severe due to a weak fiber-matrix interface.     

Effect of emulsifier content of sizing agent on the surface of carbon fibres and interface of its composites

In this work, carbon fibres were sized with different emulsifier content sizing agent in order to improve the performances of carbon fibres and the interface of carbon fibres composites. The surface characteristic changing after modification was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM). Wetting and surface energy along with contact angles were determined by the dynamic contact angle analysis test (DCAT). At the same time, the single fibre strengths and weibull distributions were also studied in order to understand the effect of the emulsifier content of sizing agent on the carbon fibres. The interfacial shear strength and hygrothermal ageing of the composites were measured which showed a different enhancement, respectively. The results revealed that sizing agent E-3 showed better interface adhesion between fibres and matrix and sizing agent E-2 sized carbon fibre has better ageing resistant properties.     

Effect of heat treatment on the mechanical and microstructural characterization of Mg-AZ91E/TiC composites

Mg-AZ91E/TiC_p composite was fabricated using a spontaneous infiltration technique at 950 °C under an argon atmosphere. The composites produced have 37 vol.% of metal matrix and 63 vol.% of TiC-like reinforcement. The obtained composites were subsequently solution heat-treated at 413 °C during 24 h, cold water quenched, and subsequently artificially aged at 168 and 216 °C during 16 h in an argon atmosphere. Effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties was evaluated. Microstructural characterization was analyzed using different techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Interface between matrix and reinforcement was examined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and mechanical properties were evaluated by measuring the elastic modulus and hardness. Mg, TiC, Al, and Mg₁₇Al₁₂ phases through XRD were detected. Meanwhile, using TEM analysis in heat-treated composites MgAl₂O₄, MgO, and Al₂O₃ were identified. The as-fabricated composite have elastic modulus and hardness of 162 GPa and 316 Hv, respectively. After solution heat treatment and aging at 168 °C during 12 h, the composites reaches values of 178 GPa and 362 Hv for the elastic modulus and hardness, respectively. Time of aging was correlated with measures of elastic modulus and hardness.