Evaluation of mechanical property of carbon fiber/polypropylene composite according to carbon fiber surface treatment

Abstract

In this study, the mechanical properties of a carbon fiber/polypropylene composite were evaluated according to the carbon fiber surface treatment. Carbon fiber surface treatments such as silane coupling agents and plasma treatment were performed to enhance the interfacial strength between carbon fibers and polypropylene. The treated carbon fiber surface was characterized by XPS, SEM, and single-filament tensile test. The interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of the composite with respect to the surface treatment was determined by a short beam shear test. The test results showed that the ILSS of the plasma-treated specimen increased with the treatment time. The ILSS of the specimen treated with a silane coupling agent after plasma treatment increased by 48.7% compared to that of the untreated specimen. © 2013 The Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers.