Effect of the Atmospheric Plasma Treatment Parameters on the Surface and Mechanical Properties of Carbon Fabric

• Published in: Materials Vol. 17; no. 11; p. 2547
• Main Authors: Sampino, Samuele, Ciardiello, Raffaele, D'Angelo, Domenico, Cagna, Laura, Paolino, Davide Salvatore
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 25.05.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Ablation; Air quality management; Analysis; Atmospheric pressure; Bending stresses; Cantilever beams; carbon fiber; Carbon fibers; Composite materials; Contact angle; delamination; double cantilever beam test; Energy consumption; Epoxy resins; Fabrics; Fiber composites; Fourier transforms; Fracture toughness; Functional groups; Gas mixtures; Infrared reflection; Infrared spectroscopy; Mechanical properties; Nitrogen; Optical emission spectroscopy; Photoelectrons; plasma; Plasma jets; Plasma physics; Process controls; Process parameters; Radio frequency plasma; Raman spectroscopy; Shear strength; Spectrum analysis; Surface treatment; sustainable composites; X ray photoelectron spectroscopy; X ray reflection; Canada; United Kingdom; Germany; United Kingdom > UK; delamination; carbon fiber; surface treatment; sustainable composites; end-notched flexure test; double cantilever beam test; flexural test; plasma
• ISSN: 1996-1944; 1996-1944
• DOI: 10.3390/ma17112547

The use of Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet (APPJ) technology for surface treatment of carbon fabrics is investigated to estimate the increase in the fracture toughness of carbon-fiber composite materials. Nitrogen and a nitrogen-hydrogen gas mixture were used to size the carbon fabrics by preliminarily optimizing the process parameters. The effects of the APPJ on the carbon fabrics were investigated by using optical and chemical characterizations. Optical Emission Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared-Attenuated Total Reflection, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy were adopted to assess the effectiveness of ablation and etching effects of the treatment, in terms of grafting of new functional groups and active sites. The treated samples showed an increase in chemical groups grafted onto the surfaces, and a change in carbon structure was influential in the case of chemical interaction with epoxy groups of the epoxy resin adopted. Flexural test, Double Cantilever Beam and End-Notched Flexure tests were then carried out to characterize the composite and evaluate the fracture toughness in Mode I and Mode II, respectively. N /H specimens showed significant increases in and , compared to the untreated specimens, and slight increases in at the first crack propagation.