Investigation of morphology-dependent fracture behaviour with the single-fibre pull-out test

In this study attempts are made to answer the question of how the morphology, and especially the transcrystallinity, influences the fibre/matrix adhesion in carbon-fibre/poly(phenylene sulphide) composites. Therefore, single-fibre pull-out measurements are performed with samples containing high-modulus (HM) and high-strength (HS) fibres that had been subjected to different thermal treatments. Transcrystallinity leads to a prevailing brittle fracture process in the interface and to higher values of the apparent shear strength. Samples with HS fibres and high crystallinity show an unexpected ductile fracture behaviour at a high apparent shear strength level.