The effect of aqueous polyimide sizing agent on PEEK based carbon fiber composites using experimental techniques and molecular dynamics simulations

Abstract In this paper, we proposed an efficient method for manufacturing water-soluble polyimide (PI)- sized carbon fiber (CF) reinforced poly (ether ether ketone) (PEEK) composites with excellent mechanical and thermal properties. The PI sizing agent used in this study was synthesized by thermal imidization of prepared poly (amic acid) salt solution. The PI-sized CFs were fabricated by an optimized process that included a sizing treatment and a spreading process using a specially customized equipment. Composites containing PI-sized CFs were characterized by interfacial shear strength and glass-transition temperature according to the PI concentration on the CF surfaces. Molecular dynamics simulations show that the presence of an appropriate amount of PI sizing agent on the CF surface significantly enhances the interface compatibility of the CF/PEEK polymer composites.