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- 2011 (2) (entfernen)
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- Englisch (2) (entfernen)
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- Adhesion (1)
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- Mapping (1)
- Nano indentation (1)
- Nanotubes (1)
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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.
The strength of laminates distinctly depends on the transverse strength of the laminas. The transverse failure is dominated by the adhesion between fiber and matrix. Usual strength criteria however do not take into account the adhesive strength explicitly. The determination of the interface strength is performed on the micromechanical scale using single fiber specimens. The fibers are loaded under off-axis loading while the debonding is monitored under a microscope. The stresses acting in the Interface are calculated by finite element analyses. It is found that for off-axial angles up to 35° interfacial debonding is the dominant failure mode while fiber breakage takes place at lower angles. The occurrence of fiber breakage and debonding under off-axis loading shows that the restriction to two potential failure planes - perpendicular or parallel to the fibers - as applied in common failure criteria has to be put in question.