Effect of Fiber Sizing Levels on the Mechanical Properties of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Thermoset Composites
Fiber sizing is one of the most important components in manufacturing composites by affecting mechanical properties, including strength and stiffness. The sizing of manmade fibers offers many advantages, such as improving fiber/matrix adhesion and bonding properties, protecting fiber surfaces from d...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Polymers |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/24/4678 |
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| author | Albraa A. Jaber Sara A. Abbas Abdiaziz A. Farah Karina K. Kopeć Yahya M. Alsalik Mohammed A. Tayeb Nikhil Verghese |
| author_facet | Albraa A. Jaber Sara A. Abbas Abdiaziz A. Farah Karina K. Kopeć Yahya M. Alsalik Mohammed A. Tayeb Nikhil Verghese |
| author_sort | Albraa A. Jaber |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Fiber sizing is one of the most important components in manufacturing composites by affecting mechanical properties, including strength and stiffness. The sizing of manmade fibers offers many advantages, such as improving fiber/matrix adhesion and bonding properties, protecting fiber surfaces from damage during the processing and weaving stages, and enhancing the surface wettability of polymer matrices. In this work, the influence of fiber sizing levels on carbon fibers’ (CFs) mechanical properties is reported at room temperature using single fiber tensile testing (Favimat+), single fiber pullout testing (SFPO), and interfacial elemental analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Standard modulus CFs (7 ± 0.2 μm in diameter) were sized using two commercially available Michelman sizing formulations. The average solid content for each sizing formulation was 26.3 ± 0.2% and 34.1 ± 0.2%, respectively. HEXION RIMR 135 with curing agent RIMH 137 was used as a model thermoset epoxy matrix during SFPO measurements. A predictive engineering fiber sizing methodology was also developed. Sizing amounts of 0.5, 1, and 2 wt.% on the fiber surface were achieved for both sizing formulations. For each fiber size level, 50 single-fiber tensile testing experiments and 20 single-fiber pull-out tests were conducted. The ultimate tensile strength (<i>σ<sub>ult</sub></i>) of the carbon fibers and the interfacial shear strength (<i>τ<sub>app</sub></i>) of the single fiber composite were analyzed. The sizing levels’ effect on interfacial shear stress and the O/C (Oxygen/Carbon) surface composition ratio was investigated. Based on our experimental findings, an increase of 6% in fiber performance was recorded for ultimate tensile and interfacial shear strengths. As a result, generalized fiber sizing and characterization methods were established. These developed methods can be used to characterize the strength and interfacial shear strength of manmade fibers with different sizing formulations and solid contents irrespective of the matrix, i.e., thermoset or thermoplastic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:26:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c9203c64453e4182ae5485a158535c44 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:26:24Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Polymers |
| spelling | doaj.art-c9203c64453e4182ae5485a158535c442023-12-22T14:36:38ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602023-12-011524467810.3390/polym15244678Effect of Fiber Sizing Levels on the Mechanical Properties of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Thermoset CompositesAlbraa A. Jaber0Sara A. Abbas1Abdiaziz A. Farah2Karina K. Kopeć3Yahya M. Alsalik4Mohammed A. Tayeb5Nikhil Verghese6SABIC Technology Center (STC-K), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), P.O. Box 4545-4700, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi ArabiaSABIC Technology Center (STC-K), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), P.O. Box 4545-4700, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi ArabiaSABIC Technology Center (STC-K), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), P.O. Box 4545-4700, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi ArabiaSABIC Technology Center (STC-K), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), P.O. Box 4545-4700, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi ArabiaSABIC Technology Center (STC-K), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), P.O. Box 4545-4700, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi ArabiaSABIC Technology Center (STC-K), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), P.O. Box 4545-4700, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi ArabiaSABIC Technology Center (STC-K), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), P.O. Box 4545-4700, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi ArabiaFiber sizing is one of the most important components in manufacturing composites by affecting mechanical properties, including strength and stiffness. The sizing of manmade fibers offers many advantages, such as improving fiber/matrix adhesion and bonding properties, protecting fiber surfaces from damage during the processing and weaving stages, and enhancing the surface wettability of polymer matrices. In this work, the influence of fiber sizing levels on carbon fibers’ (CFs) mechanical properties is reported at room temperature using single fiber tensile testing (Favimat+), single fiber pullout testing (SFPO), and interfacial elemental analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Standard modulus CFs (7 ± 0.2 μm in diameter) were sized using two commercially available Michelman sizing formulations. The average solid content for each sizing formulation was 26.3 ± 0.2% and 34.1 ± 0.2%, respectively. HEXION RIMR 135 with curing agent RIMH 137 was used as a model thermoset epoxy matrix during SFPO measurements. A predictive engineering fiber sizing methodology was also developed. Sizing amounts of 0.5, 1, and 2 wt.% on the fiber surface were achieved for both sizing formulations. For each fiber size level, 50 single-fiber tensile testing experiments and 20 single-fiber pull-out tests were conducted. The ultimate tensile strength (<i>σ<sub>ult</sub></i>) of the carbon fibers and the interfacial shear strength (<i>τ<sub>app</sub></i>) of the single fiber composite were analyzed. The sizing levels’ effect on interfacial shear stress and the O/C (Oxygen/Carbon) surface composition ratio was investigated. Based on our experimental findings, an increase of 6% in fiber performance was recorded for ultimate tensile and interfacial shear strengths. As a result, generalized fiber sizing and characterization methods were established. These developed methods can be used to characterize the strength and interfacial shear strength of manmade fibers with different sizing formulations and solid contents irrespective of the matrix, i.e., thermoset or thermoplastic.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/24/4678carbon fiberthermosetsizingsingle fiber tensile testingsingle fiber pullout testingsizing levels |
| spellingShingle | Albraa A. Jaber Sara A. Abbas Abdiaziz A. Farah Karina K. Kopeć Yahya M. Alsalik Mohammed A. Tayeb Nikhil Verghese Effect of Fiber Sizing Levels on the Mechanical Properties of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Thermoset Composites Polymers carbon fiber thermoset sizing single fiber tensile testing single fiber pullout testing sizing levels |
| title | Effect of Fiber Sizing Levels on the Mechanical Properties of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Thermoset Composites |
| title_full | Effect of Fiber Sizing Levels on the Mechanical Properties of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Thermoset Composites |
| title_fullStr | Effect of Fiber Sizing Levels on the Mechanical Properties of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Thermoset Composites |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of Fiber Sizing Levels on the Mechanical Properties of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Thermoset Composites |
| title_short | Effect of Fiber Sizing Levels on the Mechanical Properties of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Thermoset Composites |
| title_sort | effect of fiber sizing levels on the mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced thermoset composites |
| topic | carbon fiber thermoset sizing single fiber tensile testing single fiber pullout testing sizing levels |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/24/4678 |
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