Study on surface and mechanical fiber characteristics and their effect on the adhesion properties to a polycarbonate matrix tuned by anodic carbon fiber oxidation

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) based high strength carbon fibers were anodically oxidized using the galvanostatic mode in alkaline electrolyte solutions to influence the chemical surface composition. The change of chemical and physical properties was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and contact angle as well as zeta (ζ)-potential measurements.

An initially improved wettability for polar liquids, particularly water, was observed for oxidized carbon fibers. This result was confirmed by ζ-potential measurements. The chemical state of the oxygen containing surface groups changes during anodic oxidation in K₂CO₃/KOH due to further oxidation of C–OH and C=O groups to COOH groups. Therefore the surface acidity increases, which leads to a shift of the isoelectric point to lower pH values and increases the negative ζ_plateau value. The ζ–pH as well as the ζ–concentration dependence show the same tendency. During anodic oxidation of carbon fibers in KNO₃/KOH electrolyte solution beside ‘normal’ (like C–OH, C=O and COOH) surface oxides also carboxylate groups (COO^?K⁺) were formed at the fiber surface in contrast to an oxidation in K₂CO₃/KOH which introduces ‘normal' surface oxides. No influence could be observed of such an anodic oxidation on the single fiber tensile strength. Contact angle measurements of polycarbonate melt droplets onto single carbon fibers show no dependence of the surface composition. The interfacial shear strength, measured using the microdroplet pull-off test were compared with the thermodynamic work of adhesion. The calculated as well as the measured adhesion show the same absence of any influence of fiber treatment.