Interfacial Shear Strength And Fracture Toughness Between Single Carbon Fiber And Tio2 Matrix Under Microbond Test

To improve the interfacial adhesion between reinforcement and matrix in carbon fiber-reinforced composites, TiO2-coated carbon fibers are used to protect the fiber against degradation. Accordingly, it is crucial to assess the interfacial properties of carbon fiber-TiO2 interface. In this study, single carbon fiber-TiO2 systems were prepared through curing at different temperatures. Subsequently, the shear strength and fracture toughness of the cured single carbon fiber-TiO2 interfaces were investigated through microbond test, and the effect of the curing temperature on them was discussed in detail. The results show the interfacial shear strength and fracture toughness of the single carbon fiber-TiO2 systems witness a significant improvement due to the volume shrinkage of TiO2 matrix and the cured pits on carbon fiber after high-temperature curing, especially for the system cured at 750 degrees C, whereas the cross-linking between carbon fiber and TiO2 matrix through surface functional groups is a main contributor for the interfacial behavior of the system cured at 80 degrees C. Finally, the failure mechanisms of the carbon fiber-TiO2 interface were investigated. The interfacial separation is considered a main failure mode both at curing temperature of 80 degrees C and 750 degrees C.