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Updated: Oct 2, 2025

Experimental Implementation of a New Composite Fabrication Method: Exposing Bare Fibers on the Composite Surface by the Soft Layer Method
Published on: October 6, 2017
Enhancement and Evaluation of Interfacial Adhesion between Active Screen Plasma Surface-Functionalised Carbon Fibres
Yana Liang1, Xiaoying Li1, Mauro Giorcelli2
1School of Metallurgy and Materials, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
Abstract:
This paper investigated the modification of the advanced active screen plasma (ASP) technology on PAN-derived carbon fibres (CFs) with gas mixtures of N2-H2 and N2-H2-Ar, separately. A more-than-30% improvement was found in the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) between the modified CFs and the epoxy substrate in the resulting composites, as disclosed by single fibre push-out tests. Based on the study of surface morphology, surface chemistry and water-sorption behaviour, the interfacial adhesion enhancement mechanisms were attributed to (1) the increased chemical bonding between the introduced functional groups on the fibre surface and the matrix; (2) the improved surface hydrophilicity of CFs; and (3) the enhanced van der Waals bonding due to the removal of surface contaminations.

