Abstract
Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and nanoscaled electroless copper plating were introduced to enhance the mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites in this study. The influence of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with weight fractions of 0.5–1.5% of epoxy resin on the mechanical properties of CFRP composites was investigated. The MWCNTs and epoxy resin was first mixed, prior to impregnating the carbon fiber fabrics. Electroless copper plating, a deposit method using simultaneous reactions in an aqueous (copper) solution without external electric power, was applied on the carbon fiber surface, and the effect was also investigated. The CFRP test specimens were fabricated by hand lay-up method, using one or three carbon fiber fabrics. The mechanical properties of the CFRP test specimens were derived by tensile tests according to KS M ISO 527-4. According to the morphology taken by SEM, the carbon fiber surface was significantly rough with copper ions. Because of this, the strength and ultimate strain of coated specimens increased up to 26.3 and 18.6% compared to noncoated specimens, respectively. In addition, as the MWCNTs amount increased, the ultimate strain of the composites also increased. In the case of CFRP test specimens using noncoated carbon fiber fabrics, the addition of 1.5% wt. MWCNTs increased the peak strength and ultimate strain of CFRP specimens up to 80.5 and 48.8%, respectively. Finally, the tensile stress-strain relationship of CFRP specimens was idealized as bilinear or trilinear response curves.
Highlights
Since the 1960s, carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites have been widely used in a wide range of applications, including the aircraft/aerospace and automotive industries, and civil and architectural engineering. is is because CFRP composites exhibit high strength and stiffness, high thermal stability, and corrosion resistance [1,2,3]
Interfacial Characteristics of CFRP Test Specimens. e surface morphology of CFRP test specimens after coating with epoxy-multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) nanocomposites was demonstrated by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) method
In the case of specimen CFRP 3C-1 (Figure 9), which was made from three coatings of carbon fiber layers and epoxy-MWCNTs nanocomposite, the carbon fiber fabrics were well impregnated with epoxy-MWCNTs
Summary
Since the 1960s, carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites have been widely used in a wide range of applications, including the aircraft/aerospace and automotive industries, and civil and architectural engineering. is is because CFRP composites exhibit high strength and stiffness, high thermal stability, and corrosion resistance [1,2,3]. Is is due to the increase of interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of the hybrid composites after deposition of MWCNTs onto the carbon fiber surfaces. Sharma and Lakkad [14] prepared the hybrid composites by directly growing multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) onto the surface of carbon fiber using a chemical vapor deposition technique under high temperature. A number of studies showed good enhancement in the mechanical properties of CFRP composites when carbon fiber surface was directly coated with polymer matrices-added carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or carbon nanofibers (CNFs) [20,21,22,23]. The effects of nanoscaled electroless copper plating and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites with epoxy matrix were investigated through tensile tests. E morphology taken by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze the carbon fiber surface after electroless plating. e mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) test specimens were estimated in terms of the initial stiffness, peak strength, and ultimate strain
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