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Structural design of "straw and clay" based on cellulose nanofiber/polydopamine and its interfacial stress
Dongliang Wu1, Yuxuan Xing1, Lei Liu1
1School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, 266590 Qingdao, China.
Abstract:
Cellulose nanofiber (CNF) is often incorporated as reinforcements into various matrices to optimize the mechanical properties of composites. However, the role of CNF in structural design interface components has been mostly neglected. Inspired by the architectural structure of "straw and clay", CNF and polydopamine (PDA) were used as the "straw phase" and "clay phase", respectively, to construct PDA/CNF self-assembled coatings on the carbon fiber (CF) surface via covalent bonding and non-covalent self-assembly. The organic coatings endowed the CF with high specific surface area, roughness and polarity, as well as a broad and gentle interfacial layer of the CF/epoxy resin composites. After self-assembly, the monofilament tensile strength (TS) of the fiber and the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of the CF/epoxy resin composites were increased by 13.44 % and 31.88 %, respectively. This investigation furnishes ideas for improving the mechanical performances of composites from the viewpoint of surface structure design and interface modulation.
