SURFACE ENERGY HETEROGENEITY OF CARBON FIBERS – EFFECTS OF HEAT TREATMENT AND SIZING

摘要

Carbon fiber composite quality depends strongly on the interfacial interaction between the fiberand epoxy or polymer matrix. This interfacial adhesion is highly dependent on the materials'surface energies. In this study, surface energies were measured by Inverse Gas Chromatography(IGC). In particular, the energetic heterogeneity of a series of carbon fibers with differentsurface modifications have been investigated using new finite concentration IGC methods. Thisallows accurate determination of dispersive and acid-base surface energy heterogeneitydistributions. The measured surface energy values are compared to composite performanceproperties.