At the moment several commercial surface treatments are used to increase adhesion between aramid fiber and matrix material in composite structures but each of these have some limitations. The aim of this study is to address some of these limitations by developing a surface treatment method for aramid fibers that would not affect mechanical properties of the fibers negatively, could be used with any matrix material and that could withstand handling of the fibers and ageing. The method used is microwave assisted surface treatment that uses microwave radiation together with dry reactive chemicals to create hierarchical structures to the fiber surface and so makes it possible to control the adhesion properties of the fibers. SEM imaging, fiber tensile tests and modified bundle pull-out test were used to investigate the outcome of the surface treatment and measure adhesion between aramid fiber bundles and rubber. SEM imaging revealed that nanoscale deposits are formed on to the fiber surface which enable mechanical interlocking between the fiber and the matrix material. Fiber tensile tests showed that the surface treatment does not influence tensile properties of the fiber negatively. Results from the bundle pull-out tests confirmed that this kind of method can lead up to 259% improvement in adhesion when compared to untreated aramid fibers in rubber matrix.
Aramid fibers are high-strength and high-modulus technical fibers used in protective clothing, such as bulletproof vests and helmets, as well as in industrial applications, such as tires and brake pads. However, their full potential is not currently utilized due to adhesion problems to matrix materials. In this paper, we study how the introduction of mechanical adhesion between aramid fibers and matrix material the affects adhesion properties of the fiber in both thermoplastic and thermoset matrix. A microwave-induced surface modification method is used to create nanostructures to the fiber surface and a high throughput microbond method is used to determine changes in interfacial shear strength with an epoxy (EP) and a polypropylene (PP) matrix. Additionally, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy were used to evaluate the surface morphology of the fibers and differences in failure mechanism at the fiber-matrix interface. We were able to increase interfacial shear strength (IFSS) by 82 and 358%, in EP and PP matrix, respectively, due to increased surface roughness and mechanical adhesion. Also, aging studies were conducted to confirm that no changes in the adhesion properties would occur over time.
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