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Bioinspired Microcavities Enhancing the Interface of Fe-Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer.
Longfei He1, Lianhai Wang1, Guorong Cui2
1School of Shipping, Shandong Jiaotong University, Weihai 264200, China.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 11, 2025
Summary
Laser micro-drilling creates biomimetic cavities in iron (Fe) surfaces, significantly boosting the adhesion of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. Frustum-integrated cylindrical cavities offer the highest shear strength, enhancing composite performance for demanding applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Engineering
- Composite Materials
Background:
- Improving interfacial adhesion is crucial for high-performance polymer/metal hybrid composites.
- Laser micro-drilling offers a potential method for surface modification to enhance composite interfaces.
- Biomimetic designs can inspire novel surface engineering strategies for improved material properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of laser micro-drilling on iron (Fe) substrates for enhanced interfacial properties in resin-interlocked Fe-CFRP hybrid composites.
- To engineer novel biomimetic surface structures inspired by hair follicles to improve Fe-CFRP adhesion.
- To elucidate the relationship between micro-hole geometry and interfacial performance.
Main Methods:
- Laser micro-drilling of Fe substrates to create various cavity geometries (conical, conical frustum, cylindrical, frustum-integrated cylindrical).
- Fabrication of resin-interlocked Fe-CFRP hybrid composites using modified Fe substrates.
- Mechanical testing (shear strength) to evaluate interfacial performance.
- Molecular dynamics simulations to analyze interfacial energy, van der Waals interactions, and resin fluidity.
Main Results:
- Laser-processed surfaces showed significantly improved interfacial performance compared to untreated Fe.
- Specimens with frustum-integrated cylindrical cavities achieved the highest shear strength, a 44.8% increase over non-drilled controls.
- Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed that frustum-integrated cylindrical cavities increased Fe-Diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) interfacial energy and van der Waals interactions.
- Enhanced DGEBA-3,3'-diaminodiphenyl sulfone fluidity was observed, promoting mechanical interlocking and resin filling.
Conclusions:
- Laser micro-drilling, particularly with frustum-integrated cylindrical cavities, effectively enhances the interfacial performance of Fe-CFRP hybrid composites.
- Biomimetic cavity design plays a critical role in improving mechanical interlocking and resin infiltration.
- The findings provide valuable insights for designing advanced composites for aerospace and automotive applications.
