Abstract
A concept of physical and chemical stages of interaction between the matrix and reinforcing fibers during the production of composite materials is introduced. A strong bond between these constituents is formed at the stage of chemical interaction, which is characterized by a certain value of activation energy. The activation energy of such an interaction for high-strength high-modulus polyethylene fibers used for reinforcing composites is estimated. Based on these estimates, conditions for fiber activation with “cold” plasma are found. The application of plasma-activated polyethylene fibers for reinforcing an epoxy matrix allows one to produce light-weight composites with high physicomechanical indices. The failure mode of such composites points to a high strength of the bond between the fibers and matrix. The data on treating the fiber surface with “cold” plasma above the activation energy of chemical interaction may be utilized to create new types of organic composites from other kinds of organic fibers and matrices.
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