Publication

Abstract : Carbon-fiber epoxy composites show extremely high modulus and strength in the uniaxial direction. However, they fail relatively easily under flexural loading due to the weak nature of the interface between the carbon-fiber and epoxy. In the current study, the desizing and oxidation treatment of carbon fibers and the coating of graphene nano-platelets (GNPs) on the carbon-fibers has been done with an aim to strengthen the interface/interphase between the fiber and the matrix. GNPs were coated on the carbon fibers before making the final laminates through vacuum assisted resin transfer molding. The flexural strength of the laminates has been found to improve significantly with GNP addition. Scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy have been used to examine the nature of interface/interphase between the fiber and the matrix as well as the mechanism of failure of the composite.