Page 7 - MODCOMP Newsletter no. 6

Newsletter, Volume 6

Surface modification of carbon fibres
for high performance carbon fibre composites

MODCOMP project aims to develop novel engi- of the ASP technology2 can effectively eliminate
neered fibre-based materials for technical, high ions bombardment induced degradation while
value, high performance products for non-cloth- providing radicals necessary for surface modifi-
ing applications at realistic cost, with improved cation as radicals have longer lifetime than ions
functionality and safety. The main objective of and electrons.
WP1 is to develop and apply advanced surface Upscaling of the surface treatments have made
modification techniques for the activation and it possible to have large size and quantity mate-
functionalization of carbon fibre surfaces to en- rials for making demonstrate components, as
able the fabrication of fibre-based structures shown in the right figure.
with improved multi-functionality and perfor-
mance. a) Active-screen plasma furnace carried out treatments
for 9000 meters long CFs; b) composite demonstrators of
The new surface modification techniques have
been developed for carbon fibres (HTA40 E13 6K aircraft propellant tanks made by ASP treated CFs.
400tex carbon fibres and G0926, G1157 carbon
fibre fabrics (Toho Tenax-E) by three partners 1, For more information, you can contact:
2, 3, particularly the following five treatments Dr Xiaoying Li, UOB
with optimised performance of the carbon fibre
reinforced composite, namely: (1) Atmospheric E-mail: x.li.1@bham.ac.uk
plasma treatment (App)1; (2) Active-screen 7|Page
plasma activation (ASP1&ASP2)2; (3) Electro-
chemical treatment (PMAA&15C)3 .

Performances of the composites made with the
optimal treated carbon fibres/fabrics were char-
acterised in terms of the ILSS (interlayer share
strength), thermal conductivity, wettability, IFSS
(interface share strength. The results revealed
improved wettability of the fibre surface and in-
creased adhesion between the fibre and the ma-
trix. Particularly, advanced active-screen plasma
treatment can lead to increase single fibre ten-
sile strength, indicating the post-plasma nature