Preparation of Al₂O₃ coating quartz fiber reinforced methyl silicon resin composites by means of sol-gel technique

Al₂O₃ was coated on the surface of quartz fiber by using sol-gel technique. The surface morphology of coated quartz fiber was investigated by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM). The process conditions of Al₂O₃ coating were optimized by measuring bundle tensile strength. The effect of Al₂O₃ coating on the interfacial properties of the composites was emphatically analyzed. The results show that Al₂O₃ coating can effectively inhibit the reaction between the fiber and the matrix at 500°C, and improve interfacial strength and interlaminar shear property of the composites. The interlaminar shear strength of A1203 coating quartz fiber reinforced composites treated at 400°C and 600°C is up to 8.2 MPa and 5.4 MPa respectively, which is about 3.4 times and 2.3 times than that of the uncoated composites.