Filtern
Erscheinungsjahr
Dokumenttyp
- Zeitschriftenartikel (17) (entfernen)
Sprache
- Englisch (16)
- Französisch (1)
Schlagworte
- Carbon fibres (3)
- Interface (3)
- A. Carbon fibres (2)
- Adhesion (2)
- Contact angle (2)
- Elastic properties (2)
- Epoxy (2)
- Functional composites (2)
- Interfacial strength (2)
- Mechanical properties (2)
Organisationseinheit der BAM
The surface properties of original high strength and preoxidized high modulus carbon fibers were altered by electrocopolymerizing acryl amide and carbazole and therefore depositing a copolymer coating onto the fibers. Scanning electron microscopy and zeta-potential measurements confirmed the presence of a rough but dense and continuous electrocoating with a basic surface character. Therefore, lsquogoodrsquo adhesion behavior between the electrocoated carbon fibers and an epoxy resin matrix should be expected. The interfacial adhesion was measured using the single fiber pull-out and single fiber indentation test. It was shown that only lsquointermediatersquo adhesion was present between the carbon fibers and the electrocoating, but superior adhesion between the coating and epoxy resin exists. The single fiber model composites always failed at the fiber/electrocoating interface. However, as shown by using the indentation test, the interfacial adhesion between fibers and electrocoating can be significantly improved if preoxidized fibers are used as substrate for electropolymerization. A very high tensile strength for the electrocoating can be expected as derived from the single fiber pull-out tests.
Triggered biodegradable composites made entirely from renewable resources are urgently sought after to improve material recyclability or be able to divert materials from waste streams. Many biobased polymers and natural fibers usually display poor interfacial adhesion when combined in a composite material. Here we propose a way to modify the surfaces of natural fibers by utilizing bacteria (Acetobacter xylinum) to deposit nanosized bacterial cellulose around natural fibers, which enhances their adhesion to renewable polymers. This paper describes the process of modifying large quantities of natural fibers with bacterial cellulose through their use as substrates for bacteria during fermentation. The modified fibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, single fiber tensile tests, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and inverse gas chromatography to determine their surface and mechanical properties. The practical adhesion between the modified fibers and the renewable polymers cellulose acetate butyrate and poly(l-lactic acid) was quantified using the single fiber pullout test.
A novel low-pressure radio-frequency plasma treatment protocol was developed to achieve the effective through-thickness surface modification of large porous poly (d,l-lactide) (PDLLA) polymer scaffolds using air or water: ammonia plasma treatments. Polymer films were modified as controls. Scanning electron micrographs and maximum bubble point measurements demonstrated that the PDLLA foams have the high porosity, void fraction and interconnected pores required for use as tissue engineering scaffolds. The polymer surface of the virgin polymer does contain acidic functional groups but is hydrophobic.
Following exposure to air or water: ammonia plasma, an increased number of polar functional groups and improved wetting behaviour, i.e. hydrophilicity, of wet surfaces was detected. The number of polar surface functional groups increased (hence the decrease in water contact angles) with increasing exposure time to plasma. The change in surface composition and wettablility of wet polymer constructs was characterised by zeta potential and contact angle measurements. The hydrophobic recovery of the treated PDLLA polymer surfaces was also studied. Storage of the treated polymer constructs in ambient air caused an appreciable hydrophobic recovery, whereas in water only partial hydrophobic recovery occurred. However, in both cases the initial surface characteristics decay as function of time.
A simple method of creating defined PMMA and poly (MMA-co-Cz) electrocoatings on carbon fibres is described. The electrodeposition of poly methylmethacrylate (PMMA) onto unsized, unmodified carbon fibres was performed by simple constant current electrolyses of methylmethacrylate (MMA) monomer in dimethylformamide (DMF) solutions and the pure liquid monomer using sodium nitrate and lithium perchlorate as supporting electrolytes. The presence of polymeric coatings successfully attached to the carbon fibres was verified by scanning electron microscopy and photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).
Performing the electrolysis in dilute MMA in DMF solutions ([MMA] < 5 M) results in the deposition of powder-like polymer on the carbon fibre electrodes. Increasing the MMA concentration in the DMF solution results in a homogeneous PMMA coating of the carbon fibres. The degree of grafting or coating increases with increasing MMA concentration, except when pure MMA is used without solvent.
The adhesive strength between the electrocoated carbon fibres and a PMMA matrix was determined using the single fibre pull-out test. It was found that the interfacial fracture behaviour of all carbon fibre/PMMA model composites is rather brittle. The adhesion strength between the unmodified carbon fibres and the PMMA matrix was equal to the cohesive strength of the polymer matrix itself. Nevertheless, the electrodeposition of thin and homogeneous PMMA coatings resulted in much improved adhesion strengths.
Multifunctional composites which can fulfil more than one role within a system have attracted considerable interest. This work focusses on structural supercapacitors which simultaneously carry mechanical load whilst storing/delivering electrical energy. Critical mechanical properties (in-plane shear and in-plane compression performance) of two monofunctional and four multifunctional materials were characterised, which gave an insight into the relationships between these properties, the microstructures and fracture processes. The reinforcements included baseline T300 fabric, which was then either grafted or sized with carbon nanotubes, whilst the baseline matrix was MTM57, which was blended with ionic liquid and lithium salt (two concentrations) to imbue multifunctionality. The resulting composites exhibited a high degree of matrix heterogeneity, with the ionic liquid phase preferentially forming at the fibres, resulting in poor matrix-dominated properties. However, fibre-dominated properties were not depressed. Thus, it was demonstrated that these materials can now offer weight savings over conventional monofunctional systems when under modest loading.
Structural supercapacitor electrolytes based on bicontinuous ionic liquid-epoxy resin systems
(2013)
'Structural electrolytes' retain the desirable mechanical characteristics of structural (epoxy) resins whilst introducing sufficient ionic conductivity to operate as electrolytes in electrochemical devices. Here, a series of ionic liquid–epoxy resin composites were prepared to identify the optimum system microstructure required to achieve a high level of multifunctionality. The ionic conductivity, mechanical properties, thermal stability and morphology of the cured epoxy based structural electrolytes were studied as a function of phase composition for three fully formulated high performance structural epoxy systems. At only 30 wt% of structural resin and 70 wt% of ionic liquid based electrolyte, stiff monolithic plaques with thicknesses of 2–3 mm were obtained with a room temperature ionic conductivity of 0.8 mS cm-1 and a Young's modulus of 0.2 GPa. This promising performance can be attributed to a long characteristic length scale spinodal microstructure, suggesting routes to further optimisation in the future.
The introduction of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) modifies bulk polymer properties, depending on intrinsic quality, dispersion, alignment, interfacial chemistry and mechanical properties of the nanofiller. These effects can be exploited to enhance the matrices of conventional microscale fibre-reinforced polymer composites, by using primary reinforcing fibres grafted with CNTs. This paper presents a methodology that combines atomic force microscopy, polarised Raman spectroscopy, and nanoindentation techniques, to study the distribution, alignment and orientation of CNTs in the vicinity of epoxy-embedded micrometre-scale silica fibres, as well as, the resulting local mechanical properties of the matrix. Raman maps of key features in the CNT spectra clearly show the CNT distribution and orientation, including a parted morphology associated with long grafted CNTs. The hardness and indentation modulus of the epoxy matrix were improved locally by 28% and 24%, respectively, due to the reinforcing effects of CNTs. Moreover, a slower stress relaxation was observed in the epoxy region containing CNTs, which may be due to restricted molecular mobility of the matrix. The proposed methodology is likely to be relevant to further studies of nanocomposites and hierarchical composites.
It is highly desirable to improve attractive interactions between carbon fibers and unreactive thermoplastic matrices to the possible maximum. This could be achieved by a simple grafting process to create a covalently bonded interface or interlayer, which should result in cohesive interactions between the polymer-grafted fibers and the same matrix material, leading to a better adhesion strength in the obtained composite material. Here, we are describing the grafting of styrene onto unmodified and unsized carbon fibers via free-radical bulk polymerization in the presence of fibers. After grafting, the surface properties of the carbon fiber approach those of pure polystyrene which was proven by contact angle and zeta ({zeta}) potential measurements. As indicated by the water contact angle, the carbon fiber surface becomes more hydrophobic. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provides evidence of grafted polymer. This simple procedure results in a continuous polystyrene coating. The fiber diameter increases significantly after polymer grafting. The adhesion and fracture behavior between the original and polystyrene-grafted carbon fibers to a polystyrene (VESTYRON®) matrix was characterized using the single-fiber pull-out test. There is a considerable increase in the measurable adhesion, i.e., the interfacial shear strength IFSS, by almost 300% between the grafted fibers and polystyrene as compared to untreated original fibers. Two planes of interfacial failure could be distinguished; first in the fiber coating interface leading to lower interfacial shear strength and second in the PS-matrix-PS-coating interphase resulting in a higher interfacial shear strength. In addition to the improved adhesion, there are also clear differences in the pull-out behavior between the nongrafted and grafted fibers. After the initial debonding process corresponding to the maximal pull-out force is completed, the pull-out force is increasing again.
The quality of interfacial interaction is dictated by the surface chemistry of the carbon fibres and the composition of the matrix. The composition of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) was modified by the addition of maleic anhydride grafted PVDF. The surface properties of the various matrix formulations were characterised by contact angle and electrokinetic measurements. Carbon fibres were modified by industrial electrochemical oxidation and oxidation in nitric acid, or the use of a traditional epoxy-sizing of industrially oxidised fibres. The surface composition, morphology and wetting behaviour of the carbon fibres was characterised. The interaction between modified PVDF and the carbon fibres was studied by direct contact angle measurements between PVDF melt on single carbon fibres and by single fibre pull-out tests. The best wetting and adhesion behaviour was achieved between PVDF containing 5 ppm grafted maleic anhydride (MAH) and epoxy-sized carbon fibres. The addition of MAH-grafted PVDF to the unmodified PVDF caused the apparent interfacial shear strength to increase by 184%. The apparent interfacial shear strength of this fibrematrix combination allowed for the utilisation of 100% of the yield tensile strength of PVDF.