A novel thermoplastic water-soluble sizing agent for the interfacial enhancement of carbon fiber/polyether ether ketone composites

Recently reported novel water-soluble polyether ether ketone (PEEK) derivative sizing agents have garnered considerable attention for improving interfacial bonding of carbon fiber-reinforced PEEK (CF/PEEK) composites. However, their extensive application is somewhat limited due to two drawbacks: the use of hazardous organic solvents in production and the retention of emulsifiers in sizing dispersion systems. Herein, an extremely hydrophilic sulfonated PEEK with a cardo group (S-PEEK-WC) was synthesized and used to prepare a water-soluble sizing agent. The S-PEEK-WC exhibits excellent thermal stability, with a 5 % decomposition temperature of 446.5 °C, and its aqueous solution remains stable for over six months. A robust interphase was also constructed in the CF/PEEK composites through multiple physicochemical interactions. Compared with the de-sized CF/PEEK composites, the interlaminar shear strength, flexural strength and interfacial shear strength of the CF2/PEEK composites improved by 57.9 %, 56.3 % and 44.8 %, respectively. This approach may shed some light on the development of a valid and environmentally friendly method for preparing water-soluble sizing agents of polyaryletherketone.