Interfacial adhesion between carbon fibers and nylon 6: Effect of fiber surface chemistry and grafting of nano-SiO2

• Published in: Composites. Part A, Applied science and manufacturing Applied science and manufacturing, 2019-06, Vol.121, p.157-168
• Main Authors: Zhang, Tao, Xu, Yue, Li, Hongfu, Zhang, Boming
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: A. Polymer-matrix composites (PMCs); B. Carbon fibers; C. Thermoplastic resin; D. Interface/interphase
• ISSN: 1359-835X; 1878-5840
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesa.2019.03.029

In this study, the effect of carbon fiber (CF) surface chemistry and grafting of nano-SiO2 on CF surface with respect to the interfacial adhesion of CF-reinforced nylon 6 composites was investigated. CFs were oxidized and reacted with poly(oxypropylene) diamines to modify the surface chemistry. The oxidized CFs were modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and then grafted with SiO2 nanoparticles. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microcopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to characterize the chemistry and topographies of the CF surface. The transverse fiber bundle strength of CF oxidized and grafted nano-SiO2 increased to 31.92 MPa and 39.35 MPa, respectively, from 12.57 MPa for untreated CF. The results indicated that the reaction between the carboxyl group and nylon 6 led to chemical bonding at the interface and it meanwhile was strengthened and toughened by uniformly distributed SiO2 nanoparticles on the CF surface.