Improved interfacial performance of carbon fiber/polyetherimide composites by polyetherimide and modified graphene oxide complex emulsion type sizing agent

In the field of interfacial enhancement of composite, sizing method has attracted extensive attention. In this research, a new complex emulsion type sizing agent containing polyetherimide (PEI) and covalently chemical functionalized graphene oxide (GO) was first proposed to further improve the interfacial adhesion of carbon fiber (CF)/PEI composites, adapt to the high processing temperature, and overcome the shortcomings of the solution type sizing agent. The emulsion was prepared by the emulsion/solvent evaporation method. In order to avoid the agglomeration of nanomaterials on CF surface, the monomer and polymer structure of PEI was used to functionalize GO, so as to achieve better compatibility and dispersion of GO in PEI. The physicochemical state of CF surface was characterized and the successful introduction of GO was verified. The microbond test revealed that the introduction of GO further improved the IFSS compared with only PEI sizing. When GO grafted with PEI was used as the main component of the sizing agent, the IFSS reached the largest with an increasement of 55.96%. The mechanism of interfacial reinforcement was proposed. Increased ability of mechanical interlocking, the mutual solubility between PEI molecular chains, and the improvement in wettability may be beneficial to the interfacial strength. This mild and effective modification method provided theoretical guidance for the interfacial enhancement of composites and was expected to be applied in industrial production.

Investigation of Meniscus Effect on Microbond Test of Typha Fiber/Epoxy Matrix

The microbond test was one of the methods to examine the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) value of fiber and polymer matrix. The meniscus angle that formed at both ends of the matrix is difficult to control while manufacturing the specimen for the microbond test. Therefore, the effect of meniscus angle must be evaluated. In this paper, we evaluated the impact of variations of the meniscus angle against the maximum von-mises stress and the IFSS value of the Typha fiber epoxy matrix by finite element method. The geometry of the microbond test specimen was modeled with 0.25 mm fiber radius, 2 mm fiber length, 1.75 mm embedded length of the matrix, and varied the meniscus angles with 22°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, and 90°. The mesh type quad-dominated CAX4R is used on fiber and matrix, while quad COHAX4 is applied to the cohesive element between fiber and matrix. The constantly applied displacement was adjusted to the upper end of the fiber at 0.6 mm. The simulation results showed that the difference in maximum stress obtained in each model. Furthermore, that is not given much difference in IFSS value. It can be concluded that the meniscus angle affects the maximum von-mises stress but not too much-affected IFSS value of the fiber and epoxy matrix.

Study and Characterization of Sisal Fiber/Zein Resin Interface

The interfacial shear strength (IFSS) between natural sisal fiber and zein protein resin was explored using the microbond test. Commercially available zein protein was processed into resins and their IFSS with sisal fiber was measured. Effects of sorbitol plasticizer content and microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) reinforcement loading on the IFSS with the resin were studied. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize the fracture surfaces before and after the microbond test. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) was utilized to map the residual resin on the sisal fiber surface after the microbond test. The results showed that sisal fiber/ zein IFSS decreased with sorbitol content. At 20 wt% sorbitol content 53% decrease in IFSS was observed. IFSS increased with MFC loading from 1.32 MPa (control) to 2.40 MPa for resin containing 15 wt% MFC. Physical entanglements between sisal fibers and MFC are believed to be responsible for this enhancement in the IFSS.

Interface properties of carbon fiber reinforced cyanate/epoxy resin composites at cryogenic temperature

This study focuses on the influence of cryogenic temperature on the interface of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs). Results of interfacial shear strength (IFSS) and mode II interlaminar fracture toughness (GIIC) at −196°C increased by 15.3% and 27.6% compared to the condition at room temperature (RT). By measuring the IFSS at −196°C, a new experimental method was designed based on microbond test. The layer shear fracture morphologies of CFRP were observed by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. In order to study the interlaminar fracture mechanism, the interface and resin fracture hybrid model was built, and the shear-lag theory of interfacial toughness was adopted to analyze the energy release rate (Gdc) of microbond. The results showed that the Gdc value was increased by 11.5% from RT to −196°C temperature. A higher GIIC of CFRP was dominated by the higher IFSS and resin energy absorption at −196°C.

Comparison and Impact of Different Fiber Debond Techniques on Fiber Reinforced Flexible Composites

The focus of this paper is the realization and verification of a modified fiber bundle pull-out test setup to estimate the adhesion properties between threads and elastic matrix materials with a more realistic failure mode than single fiber debond techniques. This testing device including a modified specimen holder provides the basis for an adequate estimation of the interlaminar adhesion of fiber bundles including the opportunity of a faster, easier, and more economic handling compared to single fiber tests. The verification was done with the single-fiber and microbond test. Overall, the modified test setup showed the typical pull-out behavior, and the relative comparability between different test scales is given.

Effect of Mesh Sensitivity and Cohesive Properties on Simulation of Typha Fiber/Epoxy Microbond Test

The microbond test for natural fibers is difficult to conduct experimentally due to several challenges including controlling the gap distance of the blade, the meniscus shape, and the large data spread. In this study, a finite element simulation was performed to investigate the effects of the bonding characteristics in the interface between the fiber and matrix on the Typha fiber/epoxy microbond test. Our aim was to obtain the accurate mesh and cohesive properties via simulation of the Typha fiber/epoxy microbond test using the cohesive zone model technique. The axisymmetric model was generated to model the microbond test specimen with a cohesive layer between the fiber and matrix. The cohesive parameter and mesh type were varied to determine the appropriate cohesive properties and mesh type. The fine mesh with 61,016 elements and cohesive properties including stiffness coefficients Knn = 2700 N/mm3, Ktt = 2700 N/mm3, and Kss = 2700 N/mm3; fracture energy of 15.15 N/mm; and damage initiation tnn = 270 N/mm2, ttt = 270 N/mm2, and tss = 270 N/mm2 were the most suitable. The cohesive zone model can describe the debonding process in the simulation of the Typha fiber/epoxy microbond test. Therefore, the results of the Typha fiber/epoxy microbond simulation can be used in the simulation of Typha fiber reinforced composites at the macro-scale.