Abstract
In order to improve the interfacial adhesion between carbon fibre and resin matrix in composite materials, it is necessary to treat the surface of the carbon fibre. In this paper, γ-ray irradiation technique was used to modify polyacrylonitrile based carbon fibre. Laser Raman spectrum and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to investigate and analyse the structure and chemical composition near the surface of the carbon fibre. The influence of irradiation parameters on the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of carbon fibre reinforced epoxy composite materials and the bundle tension strength of carbon fibre was studied. The interfacial adhesion behaviour of composites was characterised using torsional braid analysis. The results show that after irradiation the ILSS of the composite was increased by 20%, while the glass transition peak of the specimen, determined from torsional braid analysis, shifts towards a higher temperature compared with an unirradiated specimen. The value of the glass transition temperature T g is increased from 416.8 to 424.3 K. After irradiation there was no apparent change in the bundle tensile strength of carbon fibre. Investigations indicate that after irradiation the decrease of microcrystal size, the increase of surface free energy of carbon fibre surface and the active chemical function group formed from unsaturated carbon atoms improve the interface adhesion between the carbon fibre and the matrix in the composites.
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