Abstract
A comprehensive investigation of the adhesion at the interface of a carbon fibre in an epoxy resin was made. The fibre surfaces were modified, to increase their adhesion to resin, by an electrolytic surface treatment which was applied at various current densities. Subsequent changes in the fibre properties relating to possible mechanical, physical and chemical contributions to adhesion were monitored. Tensile tests on single fibres indicated that the treatment altered the strengths of the fibres, which were found to have their highest values and to be least variable at an optimum adhesion level. A method was developed to estimate the strength of the fibres in the resin, this confirmed the single-fibre data. A novel method of labelling the acidic sites by producing adsorption isotherms was developed to identify surface functionality. Surface acidity correlated well with adhesion levels. Single-fibre pull-out tests, modelled using a new combination failure criterion and fragmentation tests, indicated that the optimum adhesion level for this fibre/resin system was achieved with an electrolytic treatment at 25 C m−2. The principal effects of this treatment were considered to be due to chemical modification of the fibre surface coupled with the removal of a loosely adherent surface layer.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
W. W. Wright, “Composite polymers” 3, edited by P. Dickin (RAPRA Tech. Ltd. Info. Pub., London, 1990) Part 1 p. 231, Part 2 p. 360.
L. C. Wolstenholme and M.G. Bader, ICCM V111 Honolulu, edited by S. Tsai, G. Springer (SAMPE, Society for the Advancement of Materials Process Engineering, 1991).
H. D. Wagner and A. Eitan, Appl. Phys Lett. 56 (1990) 1965.
B. Yavin, H. E. Gallis, J. Scherf, A. Eitan and H. D. Wagner, Polym. Compos. 12 (1991) 436.
M. J. Pitkethly and J. B. Doble, “Interfacial phenomena in composite materials”, Sheffield, edited by F. R. Jones (1989) p. 35.
G. Desarmot and M. Sanchez, Quatriemes Journees National sur les Composites 4 (1984) 449.
J. C. Figueroa, T. E. Carney and L. S. Schadler, Comp. Sci. Tech. 42 (1991) 77.
D. A. Clarke, PhD thesis, University of Surrey, UK (1988).
A. Kelly and W. R. Tyson, J. Mech. Phys. Solids 13 (1965) 329.
R. B. Henstenburg and S. L. Phoenix, Polym. Compos. 10 (1989) 389.
A. N. Netravali, P. Schwartz and S. L. Phoenix, ibid. 10 (1989) 385.
H. L. Cox, Brit. J. Appl Phys. 3 (1952) 72.
C. Gurney and J. Hunt, Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond A 299 (1967) 508.
J. O. Outwater and M. C. Murphy, Twenty-Fourth Annual Technical Conference on Reinforced Plastics/Composites Division SPI 11C (1970).
Y. C. Gao, Y. W. Mai and B. Cotterell, J. Appl. Maths. Phys ZAMP 39 (1988) 550.
C. H. Hseuh, Mater. Sci. Engng. A 125 (1990) 67.
Idem.ibid. 123 (1990) 1.
J. K. Kim, C. A. Baillie and Y. W. Mai, J. Mater. Sci. 27 (1991) 143.
Idem., Scrip. Met. Mater. 25 (1991) 315.
A. Takaku and R.G.C. Arridge, J. Phys. D. Appl. Phys. 6 (1973) 2038.
P. Marshall and J. Price, Composites 22 (1991) 388.
E. Klinklin and M. Guigon, Interfacial phenomena in composite materials, Leuven, edited by I. Verpoest and F. R. Jones (Butterworth-Heinemann, 1991) p. 83.
L. T. Drzal, M. J. Rich and P. F. Lloyd, J. Adhesion 16 (1982) 1.
R. Robinson, S. Lehmann, G. Askew, D. Wilford, C. Megerdigian and R. Papalia, “High tech—the way into the 90's”, edited by K. Brunsch, H. D. Golden and C. M. Herkert (Elsevier, 1986) p. 299.
P. Denison, F. R. Jones and J. F. Watts, Sur. Int. Anal. 20 (1985) 4647.
C. A. Baillie, J. F. Watts and J. E. Castle, J. Mater. Chem (1991) in press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Baillie, C.A., Bader, M.G. Some aspects of interface adhesion of electrolytically oxidized carbon fibres in an epoxy-resin matrix. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE 29, 3822–3836 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00357355
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00357355