Bio-inspired fabrication of “brick-and-mortar” interphase in carbon fiber/epoxy composites with significantly improved high-temperature durability

• Published in: Advanced composites and hybrid materials 2024-04, Vol.7 (2), Article 72
• Main Authors: Li, Hefeng, Liu, Cong, Zhu, Jiabao, Huan, Xianhua, Qi, Pengfei, Xu, Ke, Geng, Hongbo, Guo, Xiaodong, Wu, Haoming, Zu, Lei, Ge, Lei, Jia, Xiaolong, Yang, Xiaoping, Wang, Hao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ceramics; Chemistry and Materials Science; Composites; Glass; Materials Engineering; Materials Science; Natural Materials; Polymer Sciences
• ISSN: 2522-0128; 2522-0136
• DOI: 10.1007/s42114-024-00876-9

The application of carbon fiber–reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites in high-temperature environments was hindered by the bottleneck of poor interfacial performance between carbon fiber and epoxy resin at elevated temperatures. In this work, a sophisticated “brick-and-mortar” interphase, inspired by the structure of nacre, was produced through an industrialized roll-to-roll process. The resulting interphase comprised both inorganic and organic components, namely graphene oxide (GO) and amino-functionalized polyetherimide (APEI), respectively. At 180 ℃, the APEI-GO@carbon fiber (CF)/epoxy (EP) composite showed significant improvements in both interfacial shear strength (IFSS) and transverse fiber bundle tensile (TFBT) strength, with increases of 91.2% and 144.4%, respectively, compared to desized CF/EP composites. These enhancements were attributed to synergistic reinforcement facilitated by strengthened interaction and interphase. Furthermore, the “brick-and-mortar” interphase demonstrated a strong moisture barrier effect, enabling the composite to retain good ILSS (92.8%) after 70 days of hydrothermal aging. The proposed bio-inspired strategy for constructing “brick-and-mortar” interphase with excellent thermostability shed fresh insights into the industrialized design and fabrication of CFRP composite with outstanding high-temperature durability. Graphical Abstract