Effect of carbon/tantalum hybrid film on the properties of carbon fiber and its composites based on magnetron sputtering

To simultaneously improve the strength and toughness of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites (CFRPs) using the hybrid effect, a multi-size film with carbon/tantalum (C/Ta) hybrid structure was constructed on the surface of carbon fibers (CFs) by magnetron sputtering using carbon and tantalum as the target materials. Carbon fiber epoxy composites (CFEPs) were prepared by injection molding. The effects of the C/Ta hybrid interface layer on the interfacial bonding and mechanical properties of the CFEPs were analyzed by testing their in-plane shear and bending properties. The results show that the C/Ta hybrid interface layer structure can effectively improve the interfacial bonding and mechanical properties of the CFEP. The in-plane shear and flexural strengths of CFEP modified by double C/Ta magnetron sputtering were 63.53% and 33.15% higher than those of unmodified CFEP, respectively, the in-plane shear modulus increased by 1.53 times, and the bending modulus by 63.26%.