Mechanical Properties of Carbon Fiber/Nylon 6 Composite Introducing Coupling Agent (II) -Increasing Interfacial Strength of Composite-

To improve the interfacial bonding of carbon fiber-nylon 6 composite, carbon fiber(CF) were oxidized by nitric acid treatment, and two types of graft polymer(GP) of nylon 6-g-polyacrylamide (PAAm) -water dispersable GP(WDGP) and m-cresol solu ble GP(CSGP) were treated as coupling agents. Introduction of polar groups such as -COOH, -OH, etc, on the surface of the oxidized CF was confirmed by IR spectra. The stem polymer of nylon 6 in the coupling agent (GP) could be compatible with'matrix nylon 5, and the grafted branch of PAAm on GP could react to the polar groups on the oxidized CF in composite. The interfacial strength was measured by the transverse tensile test to the fiber direction for single CF embedded nylon 6 film especially prepared and by the pull-out test method. The interfacial strength of the composite reinforced with oxidized CF is greater than that reinforced with unoxidized CF. The interfacial strength of the composite was increased by treatment of coupling agents(GPs) considerably, and the increasing tendency by the WDGP is greater than that by the CSGP. The optimum conditions of coupling agent treatment are as follows: the concentration, adsorption tlme of GP, and curing temperature are 2%, 20 minutes, and , respectively.