Thermal insulation and mechanical properties of carbon fiber‐reinforced thermoplastic polyphthalazine ether sulfone ketone composites reinforced by hollow glass beads

Abstract In the high‐tech field, there is an urgent need for materials that possess thermal insulation, mechanical properties, and processing properties. One promising option is Carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites (CFRTPs), which exhibit excellent characteristics such as light weight, high strength, and high temperature resistance. The effects and mechanisms of hollow glass beads (HGB) on the thermal insulation and mechanical properties of carbon fiber‐reinforced thermoplastic polyphthalazine ether sulfone ketone composites (CF/PPESK) were investigated. The introduction of 15 wt% HGB improved the material's thermal insulation performance by 32.74% perpendicular to the fiber direction and 44.95% parallel to the fiber direction. Furthermore, the addition of 3 wt% HGB increased the interlaminar shear strength, compression strength, and flexural strength by 21.34%, 17.49%, and 5.53%, respectively. Additionally, the dynamic mechanical analysis confirmed that the HGB/CF/PPESK composite has superior high‐temperature mechanical properties, which holds great promise for CFRTPs applications. Highlights Modification of CF/PPESK with HGB improved its thermal insulation properties. Analysis of the mechanism of CF/PPESK for thermal insulation performance. HGB improved the mechanical properties by delaying the expansion of microcracks. Agglomeration of HGB leads to a rapid rise in thermal insulation properties.