Textile-Grade Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polycarbonate Composites: Effect of Epoxy Sizing

Epoxy-sized textile-grade polyacrylonitrile (PAN) carbon fiber (TCF) with 450 K filaments (CFTF, ORNL) was reinforced in the polycarbonate (PC) matrix using a compression molding technique. The epoxy sizing effect on the surface, thermal, and mechanical properties of TCF-PC was investigated. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results of the TCF-PC composite show the absence of an oxirane group (epoxy-sized TCF), which suggests a covalent bond formation between the oxirane ring and carbonyl groups from TCF and PC. Dynamic mechanical analysis results confirm a strong immobilized interface (b > 1) present between TCF and PC. The tensile, flexure, compression, and interlaminar shear strength of TCF-PC composites were 323 +/- 53, 371 +/- 31, 397 +/- 87, and 36 +/- 3 MPa, correspondingly. The fracture analysis through scanning electron microscopy shows good wettability between TCF and the PC matrix which validates the results obtained from surface and thermal characterization.