Abstract
Carbon is used as a reinforcing phase in carbon-fiber reinforced polymer composites employed in aeronautical and other technological applications. Under polarization in aqueous media, which can occur on galvanic coupling of carbon-fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) with metals in multi-material structures, degradation of the composite occurs. These degradative processes are intimately linked with the electrically conductive nature and surface chemistry of carbon. This review highlights the potential corrosion challenges in multi-material combinations containing carbon-fiber reinforced polymers, the surface chemistry of carbon, its plausible effects on the electrochemical activity of carbon, and consequently the degradation processes on carbon-fiber reinforced polymers. The implications of the emerging use of conductive nano-fillers (carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers) in the modification of CFRPs on galvanically stimulated degradation of CFRP is accentuated. The problem of galvanic coupling of CFRP with selected metals is set into perspective, and insights on potential methods for mitigation and monitoring the degradative processes in these composites are highlighted.
Highlights
Besides their predominant usage in the transport industry, carbon-fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) are employed in other technological applications in a wide variety of industries [1].In the medical industry, they used in such applications as fracture fixation devices and orthopedic implants [2–16]
From the review of literature above, it has been demonstrated that the evolution of research efforts at improving the mechanical properties of carbon-fiber reinforced polymers, which is focused on the addition of conductive micro- and nano-fillers, is bound to enhance electrical properties of the composite with serious implications for galvanic corrosion of active metals coupled to CFRP in multi-material combinations
This review of the literature suggests that enhanced conductivity in modified carbon-fiber reinforced polymers occur via two principal mechanism; electron hopping at ultralow nano-filler concentrations with well dispersed nanotubes, and percolation at higher nano-filler concentrations with less dispersed carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon nanofibers (CNFs)
Summary
Besides their predominant usage in the transport industry, carbon-fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) are employed in other technological applications in a wide variety of industries [1]. Pötschke et al in another report [269] studied the effect of two different processing methods on the dispersion of carbon nanotubes into thermoplastic polymers melts as the enhancement of mechanical properties and electrical conductivity in polymer composites is strongly dependent on the homogenous dispersion of the nanotubes in the polymer matrix They reported that addition of carbon nanotubes significantly changed the stress-strain behavior of the composites, with increased modulus and stress while elongation is reduced, at CNT concentrations above the percolation concentration. CFRP to potentials at which cathodic processes on CFRP surface are under diffusion control
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