Effects of fibre surface silanisation on silica fibre/phenolics composites produced by resin transfer moulding process

The effects of fibre surface silanisation on silica fibre/phenolics composites produced by the resin transfer moulding (RTM) solution impregnation route were investigated. Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy and micro-Wilhelmy method were used to evaluate the surface properties of silanised silica fibre. The interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) measurements and morphological observations of the silica fibre/phenolics composites were also performed. The interactions occurring between silica fibre and the components of phenolic resin solution affect the dynamic adsorption behaviour of phenolic resin onto fibre reinforcement. The competitive adsorption of ethanol as solvent onto silica fibre suppresses that of phenolic resin. Fibre surface silanisation by γ-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane (γ-APS), γ-glycidoxypropyl-trimethoxysilane (γ-GPS) and γ-methacryloxypropyl-trimethoxysilane (γ-MPS) leads to the improvement of mechanical interfacial properties of silica fibre/phenolics composites on one hand and decreases the inhomogeneities of resin distribution and mechanical interfacial properties at different regions of the RTM product on the other hand.