The role of surface pretreatment and surface analysis in the bondability of carbon fiber-polyimide matrix composites
Abstract
The effect of surface pretreatment on the physical and
chemical properties of carbon fiber-polyimide matrix composite
surfaces was evaluated. Eight pretreatments were studied:
methanol wash, gritblast, sulfuric acid soak, ammonia plasma,
argon plasma, argon plasma followed by ammonia plasma,
nitrogen plasma, and oxygen plasma. The pretreated surfaces
were chemically characterized through the use of XPS (X-ray
photoelectron spectroscopy), ISS (ion scattering
spectroscopy), and PAS-FTIR (photoacoustic Fourier transform
infrared spectroscopy). Surface fluorocarbon contamination
was appreciably reduced with gritblasting, argon plasma and
oxygen plasma pretreatments. Specific functional groups were
incorporated into the composite surfaces through the choice
of gases used in the pretreatment. Physical changes were
determined through the use of HR-SEM (high resolution scanning
electron microscopy). With the exception of the
macroroughening produced by gritblasting and the pitting
produced by long exposure times in the oxygen plasma, no
signlficant differences in the topography of the pretreated
composites were observed. The wettability of the pretreated
composite surfaces increased, as demonstrated with contact
angle measurements, due to a combination of a decrease in the
fluorocarbon contamination and an increase in the surface
functionality present.
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- Doctoral Dissertations [14916]