Abstract
Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) is currently used as a lightweight material in various parts of automobiles. However, fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) material may be damaged at the time of joining via mechanical bonding; therefore, adhesion is important. When bonding is conducted without surface CFRP treatment, interfacial destruction occurs during which the adhesive falls off along with the CFRP. Mechanical strength and fracture shape were investigated depending on the surface treatment (pristine, plasma treatment times, and plasma treatment times plus epoxy modified primer coating). The plasma treatment effect was verified using the contact angle and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The wettability of the epoxy modified primer (EMP) coating was confirmed through surface morphology analysis, followed by observation of mechanical properties and fracture shape. Based on test data collected from 10 instances of plasma treatment, the EMP coating showed 115% higher strength than that of pristine CFRP. The adhesive failure shape also changed from interfacial failure to mixed-mode failure. Thus, applying an EMP coating during the automotive parts stage enhances the effect of CFRP surface treatment.
Highlights
The automotive industry is currently focusing on the use of lightweight materials to increase energy efficiency and reduceCO2 emissions
When manufacturing prepreg compression molding (PCM) Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), a silicone release agent was applied to the mold for easy
Experiments were performed to improve the adhesion between dissimilar materials in order to reduce the weight of automobiles
Summary
The automotive industry is currently focusing on the use of lightweight materials (such as composite materials, aluminum, magnesium, and plastics) to increase energy efficiency and reduceCO2 emissions. A weight reduction of 100 kg corresponds to a CO2 emission reduction of 7.5–12.5 g/km. Weight reduction is becoming increasingly important in the automotive industry. Carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs) are used in various fields, including the aviation and automotive industries. Existing physical joining methods, such as riveting, bolting, and punching, are unsuitable for fiber-reinforced plastics (FRPs). Because FRP comprises multiple layers, it is prone to cracking around such physical joints, which causes significant damage to the substrate owing to propagation of these cracks [3,4]. Stress concentration is another major issue during
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
