Interface modification of electron beam cured carbon fiber reinforced composite by silane-coupling agent

According to the specific characteristics of carbon fiber surfaces and the electron beam curing mechanism of the epoxy-resin matrix of the composites the carbon fibers were pre-oxidized to increase the quantity of oxygen-containing groups in the carbon fiber surface. The modification of the composite interface was studied by using the chemical bridging effect of the silane-coupling agent. The chemical composition of the carbon fiber surface was analyzed by using the XPS technique and the interface adhesion properties were evaluated by interlayer cohesion strength measurements. Experimental results show that the nitrogen containing groups at the carbon fiber surface can decrease the interface adhesion between the carbon fibres and the epoxy matrix in the electron beam cured composite. The silane-coupling agent and the pre-oxidization of the carbon fibres can enhance the interlayer shear strength of the composite greatly.