Interfacial Shear Strength Values Research Articles

Modifying the carbon fiber–epoxy matrix interphase with graphite nanoplatelets

In this study, a novel method consisting of coating carbon fibers (CF) with graphite nanoplatelets (GnP) is investigated for its ability to modify the mechanical properties in the interphase region. Coating the CF was achieved by immersing CF in a solution of GnP dispersed in an epoxy‐based solution for a few seconds. The influence of the processing conditions on the properties of the coating (thickness, homogeneity, quality of the GnP dispersion) is reported. Interfacial adhesion and the associated failure modes were evaluated by the single fiber fragmentation test. The maximum value of interfacial shear strength (IFSS) was achieved when a relative GnP concentration of 7.9 wt% on CFs, which led to 45 and 34% improvements in IFSS in comparison with the non‐coated CF and epoxy coated CF, respectively. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:1549–1556, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers

Effect of surface treatment on surface characteristics of carbon fibers and interfacial bonding of epoxy resin composites

This paper aims to study the effect of aqueous ammonia etching, nitric acid oxidation and aqueous ammonia/nitric acid combined treatment on surface characteristics of carbon fibers (CFs) and interfacial bonding properties of CF/epoxy resin composites. The morphologies and chemical compositions of pristine CFs and treated CFs were characterized using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that the surface of treated CFs has greater roughness compared with the surface of pristine CFs; moreover, the surface roughness is at maximum with the aqueous ammonia/nitric acid combined treatment. No obvious change in chemical composition takes place with aqueous ammonia etching of CFs. On the other hand, the oxygen content on the surface of CFs increases with nitric acid oxidation and aqueous ammonia/nitric acid combined treatments. The effect of surface treatment on the wettability, single filament tension strength, and interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of CF/epoxy resin composites was measured. Results show that the wettability of CFs against distilled water improves with the surface treatment. The wettability optimum with the aqueous ammonia/nitric acid combined treatment. Compared with pristine CFs, there is only a slight loss in tension strength with the treated CFs. In addition, the IFSS value of composites increased greatly. The IFSS of aqueous ammonia/nitric acid treated carbon fibers reinforced with epoxy resin composites increases by 46.36 % compared with pristine ones, This resulted from the combined action of the increase in the carbon fiber surface roughness and surface oxygen containing functional groups.

Electrostatic deposition of silica nanoparticles between E‐glass fibers and an epoxy resin

ABSTRACTThe achievement of optimum adhesion between a thermoset and an inorganic material is an important goal for the composites and coatings industries. There is a growing interest in the use of structural surface modifiers, such as nanotubes, nanoparticles, and whiskers, to improve this adhesion. Here, a method for electrostatically depositing poly(ethylene imine)‐functionalized silica nanoparticles onto E‐glass fibers was developed. The deposition of 26‐nm functionalized particles onto glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPS)‐functionalized E‐glass fibers and then their embedding in a resin of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A and m‐phenylene diamine increased the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) 35% over that of bare fibers and 8% over that of GPS‐functionalized fibers. IFSS was highly dependent on the particle size; the 16‐nm functionalized particles had little effect on the IFSS. When the particles size was increased to 71 and 100 nm, this led to increasingly poor IFSS values, whereas the 26‐nm particles produced the best results. Similar results were seen with the transverse flexural strength of the unidirectional composites. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41516.

Expanded graphite nanoplatelets as coupling agents in glass fiber reinforced polypropylene composites

The interfacial adhesion between E-glass fibers and various types of nanomodified polypropylene (PP) matrices have been investigated on single-fiber model composites. In particular, an evaluation of the fiber–matrix interfacial shear strength was performed by the fragmentation tests on model composites prepared by using PP matrices containing various amounts (up to 7wt%) of expanded graphite nanoplatelets (xGnP).The presence of xGnP in the polymer matrix resulted in a remarkable increase of the interfacial shear strength values (up to a factor of about 6 for a 7wt% content of xGnP) if compared to neat PP. Moreover, wettability measurements in various liquids evidenced that the work of adhesion of the polymer matrix with respect to glass fiber, was improved by the presence of xGnP.

Fibre/matrix adhesion of cellulose fibres in PLA, PP and MAPP: A critical review of pull-out test, microbond test and single fibre fragmentation test results

The present work deals with the practical fibre/matrix adhesion of regenerated cellulose fibres (lyocell) and bast fibre bundles (flax, kenaf) in different matrices (polylactide-PLA, polypropylene-PP, maleic-anhydride-grafted polypropylene-MAPP). The influence of different testing procedures (pull-out test, microbond test, fragmentation test) on the fibre/matrix characteristics is discussed. The results of the different tests showed the same trends, but the absolute values differ. Clearly higher interfacial shear strength (IFSS) for cellulose fibres was found in PLA and MAPP in comparison to PP due to higher polarity. In addition, bast fibres displayed higher apparent IFSS values compared to lyocell because of their rougher surface and their chemical composition. The apparent IFSS of the pull-out test resulted in higher values compared to results obtained from the fragmentation test. This phenomenon is explained by different stress distributions due to variable specimen geometry, different behaviour of failure and the friction which occurs between fibre and matrix during fibre pull-out in the pull-out test.

Interfacial micromechanics of carbon fiber-reinforced polyphenylene sulfide composites

Interfacial micromechanical performance of carbon fiber (CF)-reinforced polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) composites was studied by the microbond test, which has been well accepted as the most important micromechanical test for evaluating the interfacial properties between the fiber and matrix. The effect of annealing treatment and atmospheric plasma treatment on the interfacial adhesion and micromechanics of PPS/CF composites was investigated. The results showed that the apparent interfacial shear strength (τapp) value of microcomposites increased from 33.5 ± 4.3 to 43.9 ± 2.3 MPa after annealing. Moreover, plasma-modified CF was characterized by scanning electron microscope and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was shown that the surface roughness was improved; the O/C atomic ratio was increased from 16.2 to 28.5%. Though hydrogen and covalent bondings were induced at fiber/matrix interface, the τapp values of PPS/CF composites decreased to 36.4 ± 1.0 MPa with atmospheric plasma treatment, due to the remove of the size layer coated on the surface of CF.

Modeling the tensile stress–strain response of carbon nanotube/polypropylene nanocomposites using nonlinear representative volume element

This paper presents a finite element model for predicting the mechanical behavior of polypropylene (PP) composites reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) at large deformation scale. Existing numerical models cannot predict composite behavior at large strains due to using simplified material properties and inefficient interfaces between CNT and polymer. In this work, nonlinear representative volume elements (RVE) of composite are prepared. These RVEs consist of CNT, PP matrix and non-bonded interface. The nonlinear material properties for CNT and polymer are adopted to solid elements. For the first time, the interface between CNT and matrix is simulated using contact elements. This interfacial model is capable enough to simulate wide range of interactions between CNT and polymer in large strains. The influence of adding CNT with different aspect ratio into PP is studied. The mechanical behavior of composites with different interfacial shear strength (ISS) is discussed. The success of this new model was verified by comparing the simulation results for RVEs with conducted experimental results. The results shows that the length of CNT and ISS values significantly affect the reinforcement phenomenon.

Reinforcement of denture base resin with short vegetable fiber

ObjectivesShort ramie fibers were selected to investigate the effect of fiber length and volume fraction on the flexural properties of ramie fiber reinforced denture base PMMA. With the aid of measured interfacial shear strength and theoretical prediction values, experimental results were well interpreted. MethodsInterfacial properties between denture base PMMA and ramie fibers were evaluated by single fiber pull-out test. Then, chopped ramie fibers were pre-stirred with PMMA powder by a mechanical blender and then mixed with MMA liquid to fabricate composites. Two crucial influencing factors, fiber volume fraction and fiber length, were studied to clarify their effects on flexural properties of composites. ResultsWith 1.5mm fibers addition, flexural modulus of denture base PMMA rose from 2.50 to 3.46GPa with 10vol.% fibers, while flexural strength declined steadily with increment of fiber content. If fiber length was 3.0mm, the modulus showed a growth to 3.5GPa at 4vol.% fiber content followed by a drop to 3.00GPa at 10vol.%, whereas fluctuation in strength was experienced. Experimental results were discussed by comparison with two theoretical models. SignificanceShort ramie fiber reinforced denture base PMMA had higher flexural modulus than neat resin, while strength was lowered due to the weak interfacial adhesion. The potential of vegetable fibers as reinforcing agents for denture base should be further investigated by strengthening the interface between cellulose and denture base PMMA.

Effect of particle size and distribution of the sizing agent on the carbon fibers surface and interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of its composites

Effect of particle size and distribution of the sizing agent on the performance of carbon fiber and carbon fiber composites has been investigated. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize carbon fiber surface topographies. At the same time, the single fiber strength and Weibull distribution were also studied in order to investigate the effect of coatings on the fibers. The interfacial shear strength and hygrothermal aging of the carbon fiber/epoxy resin composites were also measured. The results indicated that the particle size and distribution is important for improving the surface of carbon fibers and its composites performance. Different particle size and distribution of sizing agent has different contribution to the wetting performance of carbon fibers. The fibers sized with P-2 had higher value of IFSS and better hygrothermal aging resistant properties.

Determination of properties of Althaea officinalis L. (Marshmallow) fibres as a potential plant fibre in polymeric composite materials

The mechanical, thermal, chemical, crystallographic and morphological properties of althaea fibres, extracted from Althaea officinalis L., was examined for the first time in this study. A. officinalis L. was obtained from Mordoğan, Izmir (Turkey). After extraction process, lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose contents of althaea fibres were identified. Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were utilized for surface functional groups of althaea fibres. By using X-ray diffraction analysis, CI value for althaea fibre is obtained to be 68%. The images of scanning electron microscopy were taken for observation of morphology of althaea fibres. The tensile modulus and tensile strength values of althaea fibre were obtained by single fibre tensile tests as 415.2MPa and 65.4GPa, respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that thermal degradation of the fibre begins at approximately 220°C. Besides, by pulling out the althea fibre from the embedded high density polyethylene, interfacial shear strength value was determined to be 8.16MPa. The results suggest that the althaea fibre can be used in composite applications as a natural reinforcement material.

A comparative study on chemical treatment of jute fiber: potassium dichromate, potassium permanganate and sodium perborate trihydrate

Studies have been carried out on chemical treatments of jute fibers in order to hinder moisture absorption, which causes incompatibility with a non-polar polymer, and to increase the surface roughness for mechanical interlocking. The objective of this research is to improve the interfacial adhesion between jute fibers and polypropylene by oxidative treatments. On this basis, jute fibers were treated with potassium dichromate (PD), potassium permanganate (PM) and sodium perborate trihydrate (SP). Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy were used to characterize jute fibers. The effects of chemical treatments were also revealed by assessment of moisture absorbability, yarn tensile properties and interfacial shear strength with polypropylene. FTIR and XPS analyses confirmed oxidative modification of jute fibers using any of the surface treatments. It was observed that the proportion of O=C groups increased, whereas that of O–H groups decreased after oxidative modifications. Tensile strength and elasticity modulus results decreased after oxidative treatments, whereas PD, PM and SP enhanced the interfacial shear strength values by 25, 61 and 71 %, respectively. Only SP treatment influenced moisture absorbability results significantly. The surface roughness of untreated jute fibers shows increments after chemical treatments due to partial removal of surface cementings. According to the findings obtained from surface characterization methods and physical tests, the highest interfacial adhesion with better compatibility with polypropylene was achieved after SP treatment by providing the highest surface roughness values and hydrophobic character of jute fiber.

Analysis of a pull-out test with real specimen geometry. Part II: the effect of meniscus

This paper continues our study on the platelet model of the pull-out specimen, in which the matrix droplet shape is approximated by a set of thin parallel disks with the diameters varying along the embedded fiber. Using this model, the fiber tensile stress and the interfacial shear stress profiles were calculated for real-shaped matrix droplets, including menisci (wetting cones) on the fibers, taking into account residual thermal stresses and interfacial friction. Then, these profiles were used to numerically simulate the processes of crack initiation and propagation in the pull-out test and to obtain theoretical force-displacement curves for specimens with different embedded lengths and wetting cone angles. Our simulations showed that the interfacial crack in real-shaped droplets initiated at very small (practically zero) force applied to the fiber, in contrast to the popular ‘equivalent cylinder’ approximation. As a result, the equivalent cylinder approach underestimated the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) value determined from the pull-out test and at the same time overestimated the interfacial frictional stress; the smaller was the wetting cone angle, the greater the difference. We also investigated the effects of the embedded fiber length and interfacial frictional stress in debonded areas on the calculated IFSS. The simulated force–displacement curves for the real-shaped droplets showed better agreement with experimental curves than those plotted using the equivalent cylinder approach.

Interfacial studies of carbon fiber/epoxy composites using single fiber fragmentation test

Single fiber fragmentation tests were carried out to measure the properties of the fiber-matrix interface in several carbon fiber (CFs)/epoxy composite systems. Four kinds of CFs were studied: (1) primary CFs (used as received); (2) desized CFs (sizing removed through thermal treatment); (3) resized CFs (deposited with epoxy sizing by solution); (4) carbon nanotube (CNT)-grafted CFs (grown with CNTs using a chemical vapour deposition method). The interfacial shear strength decreased by around 30% for the desized CFs and the CNT-grafted CFs compared with the pristine CFs. The value of interfacial shear strength for the resized CFs was 20% larger than that of the desized CFs. There is a good agreement between the results of single fiber fragmentation tests and that of contact angle tests.

Analysis of a pull-out test with real specimen geometry. Part I: matrix droplet in the shape of a spherical segment

We compared two models of the pull-out specimen – the ‘equivalent cylinder’ and the platelet models in which the matrix droplet is represented as a set of thin parallel disks with the diameters varying along the embedded fiber to approximate the real droplet shape. Analytical expressions for the profiles of the fiber tensile stress and the interfacial shear stress have been derived for the matrix droplet in the shape of a spherical segment, including the effects of residual thermal stresses and interfacial friction. Using these expressions, we analyzed the process of crack initiation and propagation in the platelet model and investigated the effect of the specimen shape on the force–displacement curves. The interfacial stress near the loaded fiber end in the platelet model is higher than in the equivalent cylinder model, which gives rise to earlier crack initiation and smoother shape of the force–displacement curve. As a result, the calculated interfacial shear strength values may be underestimated by 10–20%, if the equivalent cylinder is used instead of the real droplet shape. A method of correction to the equivalent cylinder model in order to avoid this underestimation is proposed.

Interfacial toughening and consequent improvement in fracture toughness of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin composites: induced by diblock copolymers

Carbon fibers chemically grafted with hydroxyl-terminated diblock copolymer poly (n-butylacrylate)-b-poly (glycidyl methacrylate) (OH-PnBA-b-PGMA), were used as the reinforcement for epoxy composites. The multi-filament composite specimens were prepared and measured by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), to study the interfacial tough- ness of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites with the diblock copolymers. The loss modulus and loss factor peaks of !-relaxation indicated that composites with diblock copolymers could dissipate more energy at small strain and possess bet- ter interfacial toughness, whereas composites without the ductile block PnBA having the worse interfacial toughness. The glass transition temperature and the apparent activation energy calculated from the glass transition showed that the strong interfacial adhesion existed in the composites with diblock copolymers, corresponding with the value of interfacial shear strength. Therefore, a strengthening and toughening interfacial structure in carbon fiber/epoxy composites was achieved by introducing the diblock copolymer OH-PnBA-b-PGMA. The resulting impact toughness, characterized with an Izod impact tester, was better than that of composite without the ductile block PnBA.

Interfacial Debonding Force and Shear Strength of Sugar Palm (<i>Arenga pinnata</i>) Fiber Reinforced Composites by Pull-Out Test

An experimental investigation was performed to understand the pulling out behaviour of sugar palm (Arenga pinnata) fibers from unsaturated polyester (UP) composites. The effect of embedded length on the fiber-matrix interface was studied. Fibers were treated with UP and phenol formaldehyde (PF). Untreated fibers were used as the control. Single fiber pull-out tests were carried out for 360 specimens to determine the debonding force and interfacial shear strength (IFSS). Significant increase in debonding force of untreated fiber and UP-impregnated fiber was observed from embedded length of 2 mm to 3 mm. However, no significant increase was observed for the embedded length of more than 3 mm. Debonding force showed remarkable improvement with ascending order of untreated fibers, PF-impregnated fibers, and UP-impregnated fibers. The optimum embedded lengths of untreated fibers and UP fibers were determined. Additional finding showed that the interfacial shear strength decreased as the embedded length increased. However, UP-impregnated fibers showed the highest IFSS value, followed by PF fibers and untreated fibers. Analysis using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was also included to justify the result.

Properties of carbon fiber sized with poly(phthalazinone ether ketone) resin

AbstractWe studied thermoplastic poly(phthalazinone ether ketone) (PPEK) resin as a sizing agent on carbon fiber, with emphasis on its thermal stability, surface energy, wetting performance, and interfacial shear strength (IFSS). X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterization was carried out to study the chemical structure of sized/unsized carbon fibers. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to characterize surface topography. TGA was used to analyze the thermal stability. Meanwhile, contact angle measurement was applied to analyze the compatibility between the carbon fibers and PPEK and the surface energy of carbon fibers. IFSS of carbon fiber/PPEK composite was examined by microbond testing. It is found that carbon fibers uniformly coated with PPEK resin had better thermal stability and compatibility with PPEK resin than the uncoated fiber. The contact angle is 57.01° for sized fibers, corresponding to a surface energy of 49.96 mJ m−2, much smaller than that for unsized ones with contact angle value of 97.05°. The value of IFSS for sized fibers is 51.49 MPa, which is higher than the unsized fibers. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013

The effect of interfacial shear strength on damping behavior of carbon nanotube reinforced composites

The effect of interfacial shear strength (ISS) on the mechanical and damping properties of carbon nanotube reinforced composites (CNT-RCs) is investigated in the present study using a multiscale simulation. The atomic lattice of CNTs is modeled with the modified molecular structural mechanics (MMSM) approach and reduced to an equivalent beam element (EBE) which is used as the basic building block for the construction of full length CNTs embedded in the polymer. Linear material properties are assigned to the EBEs, while a Maxwell–Wiechert material model is used for modeling the viscoelastic behavior of the polymer. The interfacial load transfer mechanism between the lateral surface of the carbon nanotube and the surrounding matrix is taken into account with a nonlinear bond-slip friction-type model. Finite element models of representative volume elements (RVEs) are constructed comprised of two independent meshes: a structured with solid elements for the matrix and a series of embedded EBEs for the full length CNTs inside the matrix. Straight as well as wavy CNTs are considered. In the case of wavy CNTs, random CNT geometries are generated using the spectral representation method with evolutionary power spectra (EPS) which are derived from processing scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. Stochastic average properties were derived with Monte Carlo simulation. The mechanical and damping properties of the CNT-RCs are assessed on the basis of sensitivity analyses with respect to various weight fractions and interfacial shear strength (ISS) values. Numerical results are presented, showing the significant effect of the ISS as well as the influence of CNT waviness on the damping behavior of CNT-RCs.

Experimental and numerical investigation of the interface between epoxy matrix and hemp yarn

In the present work, the adhesion between an impregnated hemp yarn and the epoxy matrix was investigated. The micromechanical tests usually used to characterise the fibre/matrix interface were adapted to the yarn/matrix interface. Single yarn composite specimens with yarn axis at 0° were manufactured and submitted to fragmentation tests to determine the experimental interfacial shear strength (IFSS). Specific single yarn composite specimens with yarn axis at 90° from the loading direction were also tested to track by digital image correlation the strain fields in the yarn, in the resin and at the yarn/matrix interface. A finite element analysis was developed and optimised to simulate the fragmentation process and provides a conservative value of IFSS.

Development and application of micromechanical techniques for characterising interfacial shear strength in fibre-thermoplastic composites

The development of single fibre pull-out and microbond tests for characterising interfacial strength in thermoplastic composites is reviewed in detail. Manufacture of an experimental jig and sample preparation regimes for both tests are described. The challenges addressed in the sample preparation include the measurement of embedded fibre length for pull-out samples and the low yield rate of axisymmetric resin droplets obtained during sample preparation under nitrogen. The applications of these laboratory developed techniques are demonstrated by characterisation of the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of glass fibre-polypropylene (GF-PP) and natural fibre-polylactic acid (NF-PLA). The comparison of the IFSS between neat and modified GF-PP showed that both methods were sensitive to the interfacial performance change despite the poor agreement between them for the absolute IFSS values from the same composite. The effect of the material modification was also reflected in load-displacement curves with different behaviour of the frictional motion after complete debonding. When a high level of fibre-matrix adhesion was realised in the composites with weak fibres, the microbond test showed higher feasibility for characterising the IFSS. This was clearly shown in its application to NF-PLA.