Influence of γ-ray radiating Armos fiber on interface properties of AFRC

In order to improve the interfacial performance between Armos fiber and epoxy resin, γ-ray radiation technique was used to modify Armos fibers in epoxy/acetone solution and the effect of irradiation doses on the interface properties of AFRC was investigated. The results show that the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and the interface shear strength (IFSS) of AFRC were all increased in the irradiation dose range of 200 to 1000 kGy, and both obtained the maximum in 500 kGy compared to the untreated fibers. XPS analysis indicated that the oxygen content was enhanced so that the activity of fiber surface was raised. It was clearly observed that the roughness of fiber surface through radiation treatment was larger than that of the untreated surface from the SEM photos. The hardness at the points of the composites' cross sections was tested by the nanoindentation technique. The results show that the hardness of the composite in the fiber, across the interface and the matrix through irradiation treatment was accordingly higher than that of the fiber untreated.