Solvent-induced micro-morphological structure strategy regulating the interfacial mechanism of carbon fiber reinforced composites

Abstract

Current research on cellulose nanofiber (CNF) in the field of mechanical properties mainly involves the direct application of CNF and simple composites with other materials. The relationship between the morphology and structure of CNF-based materials and the target functions of composites has rarely been explored. Here, as an example of carbon fiber reinforced composites (CFRP), CNF-based organic coating with different micromorphological structures was fabricated on the surface of carbon fiber (CF) by regulating the solvent ratio of binary solvents (deionized water/ethanol). The trends of their chemical components and microstructures were investigated, as well as their effects on the interfacial bonding performance of CFRP. The results indicated that an increase in the ratio of deionized water in the binary solvent led to a smaller raised structure with poor adhesion and an increase in coating uniformity on the organic coating, which would directly affect the tensile strength (TS) of the CF and the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of CFRP. This research presents important insights into the mechanism of composite interfaces based on the differences in the micro-morphological structures of materials.