Experimental Verification of Interfacial Strength Effect on the Mechanical Properties of Carbon Fiber-Epoxy Composite

The effects of carbon fiber–epoxy interfacial strength on the mechanical properties of the corresponding fiber-matrix composites are experimentally demonstrated in this work. Two composites containing different carbon fibers were tested: as-received fibers and fibers soaked in acetone to remove adhesive on their surfaces. The fiber surfaces were first characterized by scanning electron microscopy and time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry to verify removal of the adhesive. Further, single-fiber fragmentation tests were conducted to evaluate the fiber strength and the interfacial strength. The mechanical properties of the composites were evaluated via tensile testing under longitudinal and transverse loadings. The results show that interfacial strength does not decrease the mechanical properties of the composites under longitudinal loading. In contrast, under transverse loading, the interfacial strength significantly decreases the mechanical properties, specifically the ultimate tensile strength and toughness of the composites.