The effect of silica (SiO2) nanoparticles and ammonia/ethylene plasma treatment on the interfacial and mechanical properties of carbon-fiber-reinforced epoxy composites

Abstract

A nanoparticle dispersion is known to enhance the mechanical properties of a variety of polymers and resins. In this work, the effects of silica (SiO2) nanoparticle loading (0–2 wt%) and ammonia/ethylene plasma-treated fibers on the interfacial and mechanical properties of carbon fiber–epoxy composites were characterized. Single fiber composite (SFC) tests were performed to determine the fiber/resin interfacial shear strength (IFSS). Tensile tests on pure epoxy resin specimens were also performed to quantify mechanical property changes with silica content. The results indicated that up to 2% SiO2 nanoparticle loading had only a little effect on the mechanical properties. For untreated fibers, the IFSS was comparable for all epoxy resins. With ethylene/ammonia plasma treated fibers, specimens exhibited a substantial increase in IFSS by 2 to 3 times, independent of SiO2 loading. The highest IFSS value obtained was 146 MPa for plasma-treated fibers. Interaction between the fiber sizing and plasma treatment may be a critical factor in this IFSS increase. The results suggest that the fiber/epoxy interface is not affected by the incorporation of up to 2% SiO2 nanoparticles. Furthermore, the fiber surface modification through plasma treatment is an effective method to improve and control adhesion between fiber and resin.