The Effect of Copper and Zinc Coatings on the Properties of Carbon Fibers and Composites Based on Them

The surface of a unidirectional carbon tape has been coated by two types of metal coatings (copper and zinc) by a magnetron sputtering technique. The strength of elementary carbon fibers with these metal coatings and interlaminar shear strength of carbon plastics based on them are evaluated. The carbon plastics with epoxy binder are produced via a vacuum infusion technique. It is found that copper coating allows one to increase strength of elementary fibers on 15–22% and leads to similar rise in interlaminar shear strength of carbon plastics. To the contrary, zinc coating deteriorates strength of the elementary carbon fibers and composites based on them. The results of structural analysis of the elementary carbon fibers with metal coatings are given, and their thicknesses after long-term storage of the metallized carbon tapes are determined.