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Characterisation of the fibre/matrix interface in reinforced polymers by the push-in technique
(1997)
The push-in test is the only micromechanical test method that is not restricted to artificial fibre/matrix arrangements, but allows the in situ characterisation of interfaces in composites fabricated and stressed under realistic conditions. However, with the application of this method to reinforced polymers some problems arise both in the mathematical model for evaluating test data and in the practical performance of the test. Because in some cases the deformation of the relatively compliant polymeric matrices cannot be neglected, an extension of the existing model is required. For this purpose, the elastic energy of the material around the debonded part of the fibre is estimated and included in the energy-balance analysis. Because of the small diameter of the fibres usually used for reinforcing polymers, a test apparatus was designed which ensures a high positioning accuracy in the xy plane as well as in the z direction. In order to minimise thermal and mechanical influences, the microscope for fibre selection and the force sensor/indenter are directly connected together and the apparatus is designed to be stiff in all components. A solid-state bending joint guarantees very precise control of the axial movement. Three examples of the application of this easy-to-handle and low-cost test apparatus are presented briefly in the paper: assess fibre/matrix combinations, measures to improve the interfacial adhesion and the influence of water on the interface.
The effect of transcrystallinity in carbon fiber reinforced poly(p-phenylene sulfide (PPS) composites on the apparent shear strength was investigated with the single fiber pull-out test. Transcrystalline zones around the reinforcing fibers do not seem to improve the adhesion level significantly. Neighbor fibers hinder the formation of the transcrystalline zone and a ductile fracture behavior can be observed. However, the apparent strength level is slightly higher for composites containing such reinforcing neighbor fibers compared with single fiber composite samples. During annealing a brittle interface can be formed in the multifiber composite yielding a higher level of the apparent shear strength.
The feasibility of reinforcing conventional carbon fiber composites by grafting carbon nanotubes (CNTs) onto the fiber surface has been investigated. Carbon nanotubes were grown on carbon fibers using the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. Iron was selected as the catalyst and predeposited using the incipient wetness technique before the growth reaction. The morphology of the products was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which showed evidence of a uniform coating of CNTs on the fiber surface. Contact angle measurements on individual fibers, before and after the CNT growth, demonstrated a change in wettability that can be linked to a change of the polarity of the modified surface. Model composites based on CNT-grafted carbon fibers/epoxy were fabricated in order to examine apparent interfacial shear strength (IFSS). A dramatic improvement in IFSS over carbon fiber/epoxy composites was observed in the single fiber pull-out tests, but no significant change was shown in the push-out tests. The different IFSS results were provisionally attributed to a change of failure mechanism between the two types of tests, supported by fractographic analysis.
Atmospheric-plasma fluorination was used to introduce fluorine functionalities onto the surface of carbon fibers without affecting their bulk properties. The interfacial adhesion between atmospheric-plasma-fluorinated carbon fibers and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) was studied by means of direct wetting measurements and single fiber pullout tests. Measured contact angles of PVDF melt droplets on modified carbon fibers show that short exposure times of carbon fibers to atmospheric-plasma fluorination (corresponding to a degree of surface fluorination of F/C = 0.01 (1.1%)) leads to improved wettability of the fibers by PVDF melts. The apparent interfacial shear strength as a measure of practical adhesion, determined by the single-fiber pullout test, increases by 65% under optimal treatment conditions. The improved practical adhesion is not due to the formation of transcrystalline regions around the fibers or a change of the bulk matrix crystallinity or to an increased surface roughness; it seems to be due to the compatibilization of the interface caused of the atmospheric-plasma fluorination of the carbon fibers.
The breakage of a fiber and its effect on the strain energy is studied in a model composite, this is, a single fiber embedded in a dogbone specimen. The fracture process is recorded by an acoustic emission device, the crack patterns are monitored under a microscope. A finite element analysis is performed in order to estimate the energy released by different failure scenarios. The abilities and limitations of the acoustic emission analysis in characterizing different failure types in fiber reinforced composites are evaluated.