Tensile strength of ABS/PA6 composites reinforced with HNO3-treated carbon fibers

In this study, an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) terpolymer was reinforced with HNO3-treated short carbon fibers (SCFs). The effects of SCF concentration on the tensile properties of the composites were examined. Increasing the SCF concentration in the ABS matrix from 10 to 30 wt.% raised its tensile strength and tensile modulus. To obtain a strong interaction at the fiber-matrix interface, polyamide-6 (PA6) at varying concentrations was introduced into the ABS/10 wt.% SCF composite. The incorporation and increasing the amount of PA6 in the ABS/PA6/SCF systems upgraded their tensile properties due to the improved adhesion at the fiber-matrix interface, which was confirmed by the growing tensile strength. These results were also supported by scanning electron micrographs of the ABS/PA6/SCF composites, which exhibited an enhanced adhesion between the SCFs and the ABS/PA6 matrix.