High Throughput Carbon Fiber Surface Modification

Typical commercial surface treatments for continuous carbon fibers are often unavailable for short fibers. As such, there is little variety of chopped fiber surfaces leading to non-ideal coating solutions which result in poor interfacial compatibility between fibers and matrix. In this work we develop a method of applying a highly effective coating using a high throughput technique for chopped carbon fibers. We show the ability to tune both the coating thickness and chemical functionality using processing parameters. The coatings are evaluated using EDS and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for uniformity and composition. Using this technique, thermoplastic composites are highlighted showing an increase in interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of 25 MPa. This process shows promise for increasing the throughput of surface treatment of chopped fiber on the industrial scale. With this technique, we hope to increase the overall performance of commercial, discontinuous composites as well as expand the possibilities of carbon fiber technologies.