Enhancing Interfacial Adhesion: Deprotonation and Mussel-Inspired Coating of Aramid Fibers

To enhance the interfacial adhesion between the aramid fiber and PVC, a process involving deprotonation and a coating treatment inspired by mussels was used to modify the aramid fabric. The surface morphology and composition of the woven fabric were analyzed via scanning electron microscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The results confirmed that the aramid fiber surface underwent a satisfactory change. The fiber bundle pull-out test was conducted to confirm the rise in the fiber friction coefficient and the improvement in the interfacial strength. The findings indicated that the surface roughness of the fiber increased as a result of the thin microfibers along the axial direction of the fiber due to deprotonation. The first peak stress necessary to extract the yarn from the fabric experienced a substantial rise. The force needed to extract the aramid fiber bundle from the PVC matrix was enhanced by 109.3% when the fiber was deprotonated in the potassium hydroxide/dimethyl sulfoxide solution for a duration of 4 h. The deposition of the polyethylenimine layer maintained a high level of interface adhesion. Both the warp and weft filaments exhibit a pattern of initially dropping and subsequently increasing. When the processing period reaches 4 h, the tensile performance of the aramid fibers reverts back to a level that is similar to the beginning performance. The deprotonation and mussel-inspired coating treatment had a minor negative effect on the mechanical performance of aramid fibers.