Interfacial micromechanics and effect of moisture on fluorinated epoxy carbon fiber composites

Carbon fiber composites have witnessed an increased application in aerospace and other civil structures due to their excellent structural properties such as specific strength and stiffness. However, unlike other structural materials, carbon fiber composites have not been as widely studied. Hence, their increased application is also accompanied with a serious concern about their long‐term durability. Many of these applications are exposed to multiple environments such as moisture, temperature, and UV radiation. Composites based on conventional epoxies readily absorb moisture. However, recently synthesized fluorinated epoxies show reduced moisture absorption and hence potentially better long‐term durability. The aim of this project is to study the effect of moisture absorption on fluorinated‐epoxy‐based carbon fiber composites and their comparison with conventional epoxy carbon fiber‐based composites. Microbond tests are performed on fluorinated and nonfluorinated epoxy‐based single fiber samples before and after boiling water degradation. It is found that fluorinated epoxy‐based single fiber coupons showed relatively reduced degradation of interface when compared with the nonfluorinated epoxy single fiber coupons. POLYM. COMPOS., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Mechanisms of Deformation and Failure in Carbon-Matrix Composites Subject to Tensile and Shear Loading

The operative damage mechanisms in a series of C-matrix composites loaded in tension and shear have been investigated. The composites contained either C fibers or Nicalon fibers, both with and without a carbon coating. The matrix consisted primarily of ex-phenolic carbon with a final carbon layer introduced by chemical vapor infiltration. Some composites have a high fiber/matrix sliding stress. In these composites, failure is characterized by localized fiber pullout. Other composites have a low. Failure of these materials is characterized by stochastic fiber failure with a diffuse fracture surface. The operative damage mechanisms have been identified and used in conjunction with available models to rationalize composite performance in terms of constituent properties (fiber, matrix, interface). The properties emphasized include the inelastic strain, as well as the ultimate tensile and shear strengths.     

The interface between glass and carbon fibers and thermosetting polymers

The interface between the fibers and the polymer matrix controls the properties of fiber composites and has been the subject of much study. Recently, special techniques have been developed for single fiber pull-out experiments on production fibers, which make it possible to obtain data on the frictional forces which govern sliding after the interface has fractured, as well as the adhesion strength of the interface. Tests on glass in polyester and epoxy resins show that the work of fracture of the interface is much smaller than that of the resin, and that the shrinkage pressures of these matrices, when fully postcured, are approximately the same (about 20 MPa). Coefficients of friction at the interface are 0.6 for the polyester and 1.0 to 1.6 for the epoxy. The carbon-epoxy interface yields at shear stresses as high as 60 MPa, instead of fracturing, and the coefficient of friction during sliding is about 0.4.     

Positron annihilation spectroscopy of polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fibers embedded with multi-wall carbon nanotubes

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fibers, embedded with multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) in different concentrations, have been prepared by an electrospinning technique and investigated using scanning electron microscopy, Raman, and positron annihilation spectroscopy. An analysis of the positron lifetime and Doppler broadened spectral line shape has been made. Positron lifetime spectra for all the samples give best fit for three distinct lifetime components. Raman data has been used to estimate the sp² mole fraction in the fiber. It is found that the gradual changes incorporated in the fiber due to the addition of MWCNTs are reflected as well defined changes in the positron lifetime and the S parameter of the Doppler broadened spectral line. Annihilation parameters are discussed from the point of view of formation of distinct positron trapping sites in the form of vacancy type defects at the interfaces of MWCNTs and the PAN matrix, and their variations in concentration due to different amount of MWCNTs added.     

Investigation of the rheological and conductive properties of multi-walled carbon nanotube/polycarbonate composites by positron annihilation techniques

The microstructure, rheological and conductive properties of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/polycarbonate (PC) composites were investigated by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy, positron annihilation coincidence Doppler broadening (CDB), oscillatory rheometry and electrical resistivity for different MWCNT contents. A 10 orders of magnitude increase in electrical conductivity was achieved with very small quantities of MWCNTs. CDB was used to determine a percolation threshold value, which was in good agreement with the electrical conductivity and rheological measurements. The results showed that with increasing MWCNT content, the composites underwent a phase transition from insulating to conducting at room temperature, which was attributed to the formation of a MWCNT network. The effect of MMCNTs on the microstructure of MWCNT/PC composites has been studied by positron annihilation lifetime measurements. The results showed that the fractional free volume decreased because of the MWCNTs and the formation of conductive network. The effects of MWCNT filler on the atomic scale free volume and mechanical property of MWCNT/PC composites were also discussed.     

碳纤维结构吸波材料及其吸波碳纤维的制备

碳纤维结构吸波材料是一类多功能复合材料,具有承载和减小雷达反射截面的双重功能,是一种非常有发展前途的吸波材料。碳纤维结构吸波材料以其优异的力学性能和隐身特性已大量应用于隐身技术。本文讨论了碳纤维结构吸波的应用,碳纤维结构吸波材料的类型及其结构型式设计,探讨了吸波波对碳纤维进行掺杂改性,制备出吸波性能优良的碳纤维、改变碳纤维的截面形状和大小,对碳纤维进行表面改性以及对碳纤维进行掺杂改性,制备出吸波性     

Carbon materials for structural self-sensing,electromagnetic shielding and thermal interfacing

This paper reviews carbon materials for significant emerging applications that relate to structural self-sensing (a structural material sensing its own condition), electromagnetic interference shielding (blocking radio wave) and thermal interfacing (improving thermal contacts by using thermal interface materials). These applications pertain to electronics, lighting (light emitting diodes), communication, security, aircraft, spacecraft and civil infrastructure. High-performance and cost-effective materials in various forms of carbon have been developed for these applications. The forms of carbon materials include carbon fiber, carbon nanofiber, exfoliated graphite, carbon black and composite materials. Short carbon fiber cement-matrix composites and continuous carbon fiber polymer-matrix composites are particularly effective for structural self-sensing, with the attributes sensed including strain, stress, damage and temperature. Flexible graphite as a monolithic material and nickel-coated carbon nanofiber as a filler are particularly effective for electromagnetic shielding. Carbon black paste, graphite nanoplatelet paste and flexible graphite (filled with carbon black paste) are particularly effective for thermal interfacing; carbon nanotube arrays are less effective than these pastes. The associated science pertains to the relationship among processing, structure and properties in relation to the abovementioned applications. The criteria behind the design of materials for these applications and the mechanisms of the associated phenomena are also addressed.     

Defect Characterization in SiGe/SOI Epitaxial Semiconductors by Positron Annihilation

The potential of positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) for defect characterization at the atomic scale in semiconductors has been demonstrated in thin multilayer structures of SiGe (50 nm) grown on UTB (ultra-thin body) SOI (silicon-on-insulator). A slow positron beam was used to probe the defect profile. The SiO₂/Si interface in the UTB-SOI was well characterized, and a good estimation of its depth has been obtained. The chemical analysis indicates that the interface does not contain defects, but only strongly localized charged centers. In order to promote the relaxation, the samples have been submitted to a post-growth annealing treatment in vacuum. After this treatment, it was possible to observe the modifications of the defect structure of the relaxed film. Chemical analysis of the SiGe layers suggests a prevalent trapping site surrounded by germanium atoms, presumably Si vacancies associated with misfit dislocations and threading dislocations in the SiGe films.     

陶瓷基复合材料的界面相容性研究

有关陶瓷基复合材料（CMC）的界面问题已经得到广泛的重视。为了使材料达到一个很好的刚性，在纤维与基体之间保持尽量小的界面作用力对于陶瓷纤维增强Si-C-O复合材料是非常重要的。在纤维界面上涂层有利于减小它们之间相互作用，涂层处理后的Si-C-O复合材料的弯曲强度比一般无涂层的复合材料高5倍。在介质涂层、基体、以及涂层与纤维间的三相物质中避免化学反应的发生。目前，可利用化学相容性的原理对涂层纤维进行选择。     

Plasma surface modification of carbon fibers: a review

The properties of the fiber/matrix interface in carbon fiber-reinforced composites play a dominant role in governing the overall performance of the composite materials. Understanding the surface characteristics of carbon fibers is a requirement for optimizing the fiber-matrix interfacial bond and for modifying fiber surfaces properly. Therefore, a variety of techniques for the surface treatment of carbon fibers have been developed to improve fiber-matrix adhesion as well as to enhance the processability and handling of these fibers. Many research groups have studied the effects of plasma treatments, correlating changes in surface chemistry with the interfacial shear strength. This article reviews the recent developments relative to the plasma surface modification of carbon fibers.     

Mechanical Properties of Continuous-Fiber-Reinforced Carbon Matrix Composites and Relationships to Constituent Properties

The tensile properties of three carbon matrix composites reinforced with SiC (Nicalon) fibers (materials A, B, C) have been measured with and without notches. One of the three materials (material B) had a relatively low strength and exhibited notch brittleness. This material had both a high interface sliding stress and a low fiber bundle strength, caused by particulates in the matrix. These characteristics have been shown to result in a change in failure mechanism that leads to the inferior properties exhibited by material B. The notch properties of the higher-toughness materials were shown to involve splitting, which alleviates the notch stress concentration and diminishes the notch sensitivity.     

Effect of the fiber orientation on the sorption kinetics of seawater in an epoxy/glass composite: A free-volume microprobe study

The conventional gravimetric method and positron lifetime spectroscopy have been used to investigate the effect of glass fiber orientation on the diffusion behavior of seawater in epoxy-based composite samples with glass fiber orientations of 0 and 45°. The equilibrium mass uptake of seawater in 45 and 0° orientation composites has been found to be 2.77 and 1.57%, respectively. The diffusion process is non-Fickian in a 45° fiber oriented composite, whereas it is Fickian in a 0° oriented composite. Free-volume data for 45° fiber oriented composites indicates swelling upon the sorption of seawater leading to structural relaxation, and hence the diffusion becomes non-Fickian. On the other hand, a 0° fiber orientation sample exhibits no swelling, and this suggests that water diffusion to the fiber–resin interface through the resin matrix is impeded by the large number of bonds. A polymer–fiber interaction parameter determined from these results also further supports the idea that interface interaction in a 45° fiber oriented composite is less than that in a 0° fiber oriented composite. Positron and gravimetric results support this argument. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Properties of Multilayered Interphases in SiC/SiC Chemical-Vapor-Infiltrated Composites with "Weak" and "Strong" Interfaces

The interfacial properties of SiC/SiC composites with interphases that consist of (C-SiC) sequences deposited on the fibers have been determined by single-fiber push-out tests. The matrix has been reinforced with either as-received or treated Nicalon fibers. The measured interfacial properties are correlated with the fiber-coatingbond strength and the number of interlayers. For the composites reinforced with as-received (weakly bonded) fibers, interfacial characteristics are extracted from the nonlinear portion of the stress-displacement curve by fitting Hsueh's push-out model. The interfacial characteristics are controlled by the carbon layer adjacent to the fiber. The resistance to interface crack growth and fiber sliding increases as the number of (C-SiC) sequences increases. For the composites reinforced with treated (strongly bonded) fibers, the push-out curves exhibit an uncommon upward curvature, which reflects different modes of interphase cracking and a contribution of fiber roughness.     

Short-fiber-reinforced styrene–butadiene rubber composites

Processing characteristics, anistropic swelling, and mechanical properties of short-jute-fiber-and short-glass-fiber-reinforced styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR) composites have been studied both in the presence and absence of carbon black. Tensile and tear fracture surfaces of the composites have been studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in order to assess the failure criteria. The effects of bonding agent. carbon black, jute fiber, and glass fiber on the fracture mode of the composites have also been studied. It has been found that jute fiber offers good reinforcement to SBR as compared to glass fibers. The poor performance of glass fibers as reinforcing agent is found to be mainly due to fiber breakage and poor bonding between fiber and rubber. Tensile strength of the fiber–SBR composites increases with the increase in fiber loading in the absence of carbon black. However, in the presence of carbon black a minimum was observed in the variation of strength against fiber loading. SEM studies indicate that fracture mode depends not on the nature of the fiber but on the adhesion between the fiber and the matrix.     

Dynamic mechanical properties of some epoxy matrix composites

Dynamic mechanical properties of some epoxy matrix composites have been studied, comparing experimental data with theoretical models. The matrix in all composite samples was Shell Epon 828, a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A, cured with meta-phenylenediamine. Fibrous composite samples were made with glass and graphite fibers. Particulate composite samples were made with glass microspheres, atomized aluminum, powdered silica, alumina, asbestos, mica, carbon black, and graphite. The dynamic elastic modulus and damping of these samples were measured at temperatures between 85° and 345°K by a free-free flexural resonance technique. The dynamic modulus of parallel fiber composites follows the linear rule of mixtures for low fiber volume fractions; deviations from linearity at higher volume fractions appear to be due to defects caused by the sample fabrication technique. Dynamic moduli of the particulate composites conform, within experimental error, to the static modulus theory of Wu up to filler volume fractions of 0.35 to 0.40. Deviations from Wu's theory at higher volume fractions may be due to agglomeration of filler particles. The damping of particulate composites with quasi-spherical filler particles appears to follow the rule of mixtures. In particulate composites with needle- and flake-type fillers, and in fibrous composites, the fillers are more highly stressed; with more of the strain energy in the low-damping fillers, overall damping is reduced. Damping greater than that attributable to the matrix and filler may be due to slippage at the interface between them. In addition to supporting Wu's theory of the elastic modulus of a particulate composite, this study demonstrates the utility of the nondestructive free-free flexural resonance techniques for obtaining a large body of reliable data in a short time from relatively few small samples. This greatly facilitates the experimental testing of theoretical models and the evaluation of fillers, matrix materials, and fabrication techniques.     

A theoretical study of the effect of an interfacial layer on the properties of composites

A theoretical analysis using finite element methods has been applied to oriented short-fiber composites and spherical particle composites in order to predict the influence of a finite layer at the interface on mechanical properties. In this study the interfacial layer has been modeled by assuming that a layer surrounds the interface and that this layer has a modulus of elasticity different than both the fiber and the matrix. The stress distribution near the interface has been determined as a function of the elastic constants of the interface layer and the interface layer volume fraction. This analysis has also been performed for two volume fractions of fibers and two fiber length to diameter ratios. From this stress distribution, the composite modulus and toughness have been determined as a function of interface modulus. It is theoretically shown that the toughness, measured by amount of strain energy absorbed, can be maximized by controlling the interface modulus. Furthermore, recent experimental results appear to verify the theory.     

Grafting straight carbon nanotubes radially onto carbon fibers and their effect on the mechanical properties of carbon/carbon composites

Straight carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were grafted radially onto carbon fibers to produce hybrid materials that were used to reinforce carbon/carbon (C/C) composites. Mechanical property tests indicated that these C/C composites have improvements in out-of-plane and in-plane compressive strengths and interlaminar shear strength of 275%, 138% and 206%, respectively. They also have a large decrease in the anisotropy of mechanical properties, compared with pure C/C composites. This great improvement is the result of the simultaneous reinforcements to the fiber/matrix interface and the matrix provided by the grafted CNTs.     

Study on the Interfacial Behavior of Clay-Coated Carbon Fiber-Reinforced PEI Composites

In this article, based on the surface chemical treatment of carbon fiber, a clay coating process was developed for the surface modification of the carbon fiber to obtain a controlled interface between carbon fiber and polyetherimide (PEI) matrix in the composites system. SEM, XPS spectrum and contact angle measure reveal that the clay coating can improve the surface roughness of the carbon fiber surface for a favorable wettability with the matrix, which can also improve the interfacial adhesion of the composites. Experimental results show that the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and the three-point bending (TPB) of the composites reinforced by the carbon fiber coated with the clay have been enhanced.     

Carbon fiber reinforced composites from industrial waste for microwave absorption and electromagnetic interference shielding applications

Lightweight materials with hybrid microstructures are getting great attention in the area of electromagnetic wave absorption. In the present study, carbon fiber and fly ash reinforced composites are prepared by mixing them with ground granulated blast furnace slag, followed by compaction and sintering at 1000 °C under an argon atmosphere. Akermanite-gehlenite was observed to be the primary crystalline phase present in the prepared samples. Porous composites are obtained with the addition of fly ash and carbon fiber as they inhibit densification. The resultant microstructure has homogeneous carbon fiber dispersion and uniform fly ash anchoring on the matrix phase. This enhanced interface polarization, defect polarization, electron transportation, and impedance matching characteristics of the composites. Hence, the developed composites' microwave absorption and electromagnetic interference shielding properties exhibited an outstanding performance at low thickness with a reflection loss value of ?41.24 dB and total shielding effectiveness of 42.29 dB at the X-band.     

Interfacial Characteristics of Sisal Fiber and Polymeric Matrices

Sisal-fiber-reinforced composites, as a class of eco-composites, have attracted much attention from materials scientists and engineers in recent years. In this article, the effects of fiber surface treatment on fiber tensile strength and fiber-matrix interface characteristics were determined by using tensile and single fiber pullout tests, respectively. The short beam shear test was also employed to evaluate the interlaminar shear strength of the composite laminates. Vinyl ester, epoxy, and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) were chosen as matrix materials. To enhance the interfacial strength, two kinds of fiber surface-treatment methods, namely, chemical bonding and oxidisation, were used. The results obtained showed that different fiber surface-treatment methods produced different effects on the tensile strength of the sisal fiber and fiber-matrix interfacial bonding characteristics. Hence, valuable information on the interface design of sisal fiber–polymer matrix composites can be obtained from this study.