Stress Transfer Function for Interface Assessment in Composites with Plasma Copolymer Functionalized Carbon Fibres

Radio-frequency-induced plasma copolymerization of acrylic acid/1,7-octadiene was used to produce a range of functionalized plasma copolymer coatings with controlled degree of adhesion. The single-fibre fragmentation test was used to characterize the adhesion of plasma copolymer coated fibres to epoxy resin. The cumulative stress transfer function (CSTF) and Kelly-Tyson approaches were used to evaluate the degree of adhesion. By continuous monitoring of the fragmentation process, it was found that the mechanical performance of a composite material could be evaluated using the CSTF methodology at strain well below saturation. The degree of debonding was a good measure of relative interface/interphase adhesive strength. The trend in the CSTF is consistent with the propagation of interfacial debonds during the test. For a completely debonded fibre a normalized CSTF value, referred as stress transfer efficiency (STE), was found to provide a more consistent analysis that was able to differentiate between fibres with similar degrees of debonding. The calculated values of interfacial shear strength (IFSS) were only valid for a fully debonded fibre (1,7-octadiene plasma homopolymer coating) where the assumption of a constant shear stress, as in the Kelly-Tyson model, applied. However, IFSS did not provide the same ranking. Where debonding does not occur, the stress transfer efficiency also provides a sensitive measure of the interface/interphase performance. Improved adhesion over the untreated-unsized carbon fibre was observed for both of the plasma copolymer-coated and commercially treated carbon fibres. Since there is a concentration dependence of carboxyl groups on adhesion, the mechanism appears to relate to covalent bond formation with the epoxy group. Plasma copolymer coatings on carbon fibres also causes an increased tensile strength and Weibull modulus.     

ANALYTICAL SOLUTIONS FOR PEELING USING BEAM-ON-FOUNDATION MODEL AND COHESIVE ZONE

When fibrillation occurs during peeling, the normal stress in the adhesive may gradually reduce to zero at the peel front. The shear stress also reduces to zero. Classical beam-spring (or beam-on-elastic-foundation) models do not yield solutions that have these properties. With the use of a beam-on-foundation model combined with a cohesive zone in the neighborhood of the peel front, these properties can be satisfied. In order to obtain analytical solutions, peel tests are considered in which the backing has a small slope and is linearly elastic in the adhered region, and the traction law is assumed to be piecewise linear. Cases are considered with only normal stresses in the adhesive (mode I), only shear stresses (mode II), and both stresses coupled (mixed-mode behavior). Analytical solutions are obtained for displacements of the backing, forces in the backing, and stresses between the adhesive and the backing.