Improved interfacial shear strength of carbon fiber/polyphenylene sulfide composites by graphene

By taking advantage of the micrometer size dimensions and excellent mechanical properties along with the large specific surface area of graphene (GN) sheet, we developed a simple and effective strategy to improve the interfacial properties of carbon fiber (CF)-reinforced plastic. Different contents of GN dispersed in the agent were introduced onto the surface of CF to prepare the CF-GN/polyphenylene sulfide composites. The surface topography and the distribution of GN sheets on the surface of CF were detected by scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the introduction of GN significantly increased the surface roughness of CF, which was beneficial to enhance mechanical interlocking between the fiber and matrix. The microbond test showed that there was the most appropriate GN content, at which the composites exhibited the highest interfacial shear strength (IFSS). An improvement of 20% from 55.2 MPa to 66.2 MPa in IFSS confirmed the remarkable improvement in the interfacial properties of the composites when only 0.5 wt% of GN sheets was introduced in the agent sizing.