Abstract
In this work, typical high-performance yarns are oxy-fluorinated, such as carbon fibers, ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, poly(p-phenylene sulfide) and poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide). The focus is on the property changes of the fiber surface, especially the wetting behavior, structure and chemical composition. Therefore, contact angle, XPS and tensile strength measurements are performed on treated and untreated fibers, while SEM is utilized to evaluate the surface structure. Different results for the fiber materials are observed. While polyethylene exhibits a relevant impact on both surface and bulk properties, polyphenylene terephthalamide and polyphenylene sulfide are only affected slightly by (oxy-)fluorination. The wetting of carbon fiber needs higher treatment intensities, but in contrast to the organic fibers, even its textile-physical properties are enhanced by the treatment. Based on these findings, the capability of (oxy-)fluorination to improve the adhesion of textiles in fiber-reinforced composite materials can be derived.
Highlights
In the field of lightweight construction, fiber-reinforced composite materials are widely used.Due to their low specific weight, their excellent chemical and physical resistance, high-performance textiles are more and more established instead of classic, i.e., metal constructions
The total surface energy of the PE fiber increases by 48% and the carbon fiber by 19%
The investigation on the wetting behavior showed impressive polar surface energies for treated Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMW PE), which should result in significantly better adhesion in the composite
Summary
In the field of lightweight construction, fiber-reinforced composite materials are widely used. Due to their low specific weight, their excellent chemical and physical resistance, high-performance textiles are more and more established instead of classic, i.e., metal constructions. They can be used to produce structures with different and customized geometries [1]. By selecting a specific fiber type with its unique chemical and structural composition, a great variety of properties can be achieved: e.g., carbon, glass and ceramic fibers exhibit the highest temperature resistance along with a high stiffness. Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMW PE), on the other hand, has low melting temperatures, but possesses one of the highest specific strengths among all technical textiles and, like most of the man-made fibers, exhibits high chemical inertness and low to almost nil water adsorption [2]
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