Abstract
Abstract An experimental investigation was carried out to study the effect of polyamide coatings on the mechanical properties and moisture absorption behavior of epoxy/Kevlar™ composites. Kevlar™ fabrics were coated with polyamide 6,6 by in situ interfacial polymerization coating and solution dip-coating. Short beam shear tests were performed in order to assess the effect of coating on the adhesion of the fiber to the matrix. Both interfacial and solution coated specimens exhibited worse interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) over uncoated fabrics. Furthermore, double cantilever beam tests were also performed to investigate the effect of the coating on the Mode I fracture toughness. Initiation fracture toughness increases for the solution coated fabrics whereas interfacial coating induced deterioration in performance. Finally, water absorption tests were carried out. Weight gain data versus time of immersion were collected at different temperatures and the water uptake at equilibrium ( M ∞ ) and the diffusion coefficient ( D ) were calculated. It seems that there is a direct relationship between the ILSS and the diffusion results. The polyamide coating facilitates debonding of the fibers from the matrix and delamination, allowing more water uptake.
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