Abstract
Graphene nanowalls (GNWs) with different sizes (i.e., length and height) were grown directly on the surface of individual carbon fibers (CFs) using a radio frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) technique. The size was controlled by varying the deposition time. The GNW-modified CFs were embedded into epoxy resin matrix to prepare a series of carbon-fiber-reinforced composites (CFRCs). The results indicated that GNWs were remarkably effective in improving the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) and interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of the carbon-fiber-reinforced composites. The enhancement effect on the strength strongly depended on the size of GNWs. It increased with the increase in the GNWs’ size and reached the maximum upon the incorporation of GNWs that were grown for 45 min. Noticeable increases of 222.8% and 41.1% were observed in IFSS and ILSS, respectively. The enhancement mechanism was revealed by means of scanning electron microscope (SEM) fractography analysis. However, further increase of GNW size led to no more improvement in the shear strength. It could result from the increased defect concentration and wrinkle size in the GNWs, which deteriorated the strength.
Highlights
Nowadays, carbon-fiber-reinforced composites (CFRCs) have attracted increasing attention due to their high strength, stiffness, and toughness [1]
Good interfacial interaction enables effective load transfer between the carbon fibers (CFs) and the matrix, which significantly promotes the strength of the composites
Interfacial interaction, wettability, and defects concentration are the main factors affecting the effectiveness of the CF reinforcement process, since they are closely related to the load transfer efficiency and stress concentration factor that determine the interfacial strength and toughness
Summary
Carbon-fiber-reinforced composites (CFRCs) have attracted increasing attention due to their high strength, stiffness, and toughness [1]. Pristine carbon fiber is essentially microcrystalline graphite material, which has smooth surface, strong chemical inertness, and poor wettability [6] It shows weak interfacial adhesion with the matrix. The modified CFs possess active functional groups and increased surface area, which could contribute to the formation of strong and stable interaction between the CFs and the matrix Nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) [8,9,10,11,12], ZnO nanowires [13], nano-whiskers [14], and graphene oxide (GO) [15,16,17] have been utilized to modify the CFs in composites. We attempt to provide a theoretical support for the design of high performance CFRC materials
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