• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.45-50
• /
• 2012

Recently developed polyketone fiber has various applications in the mechanical rubber goods as reinforcement because of its good mechanical properties. However, its surface is not suitable for good adhesion with the rubber matrix. Thus, a surface modification is essential to obtain the good interfacial adhesion. Plasma treatment, in this study, has been conducted to modify the surface of the polyketone fiber. The morphological changes of the fibers by oxygen plasma treatment were observed by using SEM and AFM. The chemical composition changes of PK fiber surface treated with oxygen plasma were investigated using an XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy). Finally, the effect of these changes on the interfacial adhesion between fiber and rubber was analyzed by using a microdroplet debonding test. By the plasma treatment, oxygen moieties on the fiber surface increased with processing time and power. The surface RMS roughness increases until the proper processing condition, but a long plasma processing time resulted in a rather reduced roughness because of surface degradation. When the treatment time and power were 60 s and 80 W, respectively, the highest interfacial shear strength (IFSS) was obtained between the PK fiber and natural rubber. However, as the treatment time and power were higher than 60 s and 80 W, respectively, the IFSS decreased because of degradation of the PK fiber surface by severe plasma treatment.

• Composites Research
• /
• v.31 no.6
• /
• pp.379-384
• /
• 2018

This paper aims to study flow characteristics of epoxy resin w.r.t. the sizing agents treated on the carbon fibers which have the same surface morphologies before sizing treatment. Dynamic contact angle (DCA) was measured to evaluate wettability of a single carbon fiber. Wicking test and Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) were performed to find relation between DCA measurement results and impregnation characteristics. In addition, surface properties of the carbon fibers such as surface free energy and chemical compositions were measured and interfacial shear strength (IFSS) between the carbon fiber and the resin were experimentally characterized by using micro-droplet tests. According to these experimental results, the sizing agent for carbon fibers should have appropriate level of surface free energy and good chemical compatibility with the resin to reconcile resin flow characteristics and interfacial strength.

• Composites Research
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.54-66
• /
• 2000

Interfacial and microfailure properties of carbon fiber/epoxy matrix composites were evaluated using both tensile fragmentation and compressive Broutman tests with an aid of acoustic emission (AE) monitoring. A polymeric maleic anhydride coupling agent and a monomeric amino-silane coupling agent were used via the electrodeposition (ED) and the dipping applications, respectively. Both coupling agents exhibited significant improvements in interfacial shear strength (IFSS) compared to the untreated case under tensile and compressive tests. The typical microfailure modes including fiber break of cone-shape, matrix cracking, and partial interlayer failure were observed during tensile test, whereas the diagonal slippage in fiber ends was observed under compressive test. For both loading types, fiber breaks occurred around just before and after yielding point. In both the untreated and treated cases AE amplitudes were separately distributed for the tensile testing, whereas they were closely distributed for the compressive tests. It is because of the difference in failure energies of carbon fiber between tensile and compressive loading. The maximum AE voltage for the waveform of carbon or basalt fiber breakages under tensile tests exhibited much larger than those under compressive tests, which can provide the difference in the failure energy of the individual failure processes.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.9-17
• /
• 2001

Curing behavior and interfacial properties were evaluated using electrical resistance measurement and tensile/compressive fragmentation test. Electrical resistivity difference (${\Delta}R$) during curing process was not observed in a bare carbon fiber. On the other hand, ${\Delta}R$ appeared due to the matrix contraction in single-carbon fiber/epoxy composite. Logarithmic electrical resistivity of the untreated single-carbon fiber composite increased suddenly to the infinity when the fiber fracture occurred under tensile loading, whereas that of the ED composite reached relatively broadly up to the infinity. Comparing to the untreated case, interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of the ED treated composite increased significantly in both tensile fragmentation and compressive Broutman test. Microfailure modes of the untreated and the ED treated fiber composite showed the debonding and the cone shapes in tensile test, respectively. For compressive test, fractures of diagonal slippage were observed in both untreated and the ED treated composite. Sharp-end shape fractures exhibited in the untreated composite, whereas relatively dull fractures showed in the ED Heated composite. It is proved that ED treatments affected differently on the interfacial adhesion and microfailure mechanism under tensile/compressive tests.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.88-93
• /
• 2011

Optimal dispersion and fabrication conditions of carbon nanotube (CNT) embedded in phenolic resin were determined by electrical resistance measurement; and interfacial property was investigated between plasma treated carbon fiber and CNT-phenolic composites by electro-micromechanical techniques. Wettability of carbon fiber was improved significantly after plasma treatment. Surface energies of carbon fiber and CNT-phenolic nanocomposites were measured using Wilhelmy plate technique. Since surface activation of carbon fiber, the advancing contact angle decreased from $65^{\circ}$ to $28^{\circ}$ after plasma treatment. It was consistent with static contact angle results of carbon fiber. Work of adhesion between plasma treated carbon fiber and CNT-phenolic nanocomposites was higher than that without modification. The interfacial shear strength (IFSS) and apparent modulus also increased with plasma treatment of carbon fiber.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.90-97
• /
• 2009

Dispersion and self-sensing evaluation for single-carbon fiber reinforced in three different acid-treated CNT-epoxy nanocomposites were investigated by electro-micromechanical techniques and wettability tests. Self-sensing based on contact resistivity exhibited more noise for single carbon fiber/acid-treated CNT-epoxy composites than it did for untreated CNT. However, the apparent modulus was higher the acid treated case than the untreated case which is attributed to better stress transfer. The interfacial shear strength (IFSS) between carbon fibers and the CNT-epoxy was lower than that between carbon fiber and neat epoxy due to the increased viscosity associated with the addition of the CNT. The CNT-epoxy nanocomposite exhibited more hydrophobicity than did neat epoxy. Change in the thermodynamic work of adhesion was consistent with changes in the IFSS but disproportional to that of the apparent modulus. The optimum condition of acid treatment on the need can be obtained instead of the maximum condition.

• Composites Research
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.18-31
• /
• 2001

Interfacial and microfailure properties of the modified steel, carbon and glass fibers/cement composites were investigated using electro-pullout test under tensile and compressive tests with acoustic emission (AE). The hand-sanded steel composite exhibited higher interfacial shear strength (IFSS) than the untreated and even neoalkoxy zirconate (Zr) treated steel fiber composites. This might be due to the enhanced mechanical interlocking, compared to possible hydrogen or covalent bonds. During curing process, the contact resistivity decreased rapidly at the initial stage and then showed a level-off. Comparing to the untreated case, the contact resistivity of either Zr-treated or hand-sanded steel fiber composites increased to the infinity at latter stage. The number of AE signals of hand-sanded steel fiber composite was much more than those of the untreated and Zr-treated cases due to many interlayer failure signals. AE waveforms for pullout and frictional signals of the hand-sanded composite are larger than those of the untreated case. For dual matrix composite (DMC), AE energy and waveform under compressive loading were much higher and larger than those under tensile loading, due to brittle but well-enduring ceramic nature against compressive stress. Vertical multicrack exhibits fur glass fiber composite under tensile test, whereas buckling failure appeared under compressive loading. Electro-micromechanical technique with AE can be used as an efficient nondestructive (NDT) method to evaluate the interfacial and microfailure mechanisms for conductive fibers/brittle and nontransparent cement composites.