Abstract
The advantages of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTP) can be fully exploited only when a strong interface of the matrix to the reinforcing carbon fibers is established. Since commonly available sizing materials for carbon fiber reinforced thermosets cannot withstand high temperatures during processing of thermoplastics, new sizing materials are required to avoid thermal degradation. In addition, sizing materials for CFRTP need suitable chemical groups reacting with thermoplastic matrix materials to form a strong fiber-matrix interface. In this study the effects of epoxy- and polyamide-based sizing materials on the mode I fracture toughness and the transverse flexural properties of carbon fiber reinforced polyphthalamide (PPA) were investigated. The fracture toughness test results as well as micrographs of the fractured surfaces taken by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) indicated an excellent adhesion to the matrix when the polyamide-based sizing material was employed. However, the results from the transverse flexural test show lower strength values for PPA specimen with the polyamide-compatible sizing material. This might be attributed to differences in the spreading behavior of the variously sized carbon fibers during composite production.
| Original language | English |
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| State | Published - 2015 |
| Event | 20th International Conference on Composite Materials, ICCM 2015 - Copenhagen, Denmark Duration: 19 Jul 2015 → 24 Jul 2015 |
Conference
| Conference | 20th International Conference on Composite Materials, ICCM 2015 |
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| Country/Territory | Denmark |
| City | Copenhagen |
| Period | 19/07/15 → 24/07/15 |
Keywords
- Carbon fiber sizing
- Flexural strength
- Mode I fracture toughness
- Thermoplastic composites