Modified mechanical properties of carbon fiber/epoxy composite by silicone polymer

Abstract In this work, silicone polymer (PSOL)/carbon fiber (CF)/epoxy (EP) composites were prepared by introducing PSOL as interfacial modifiers into CF/EP composites. The mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties of the composites were investigated, and the optimum content of the PSOL modification was obtained. The impact of EP on the wettability of CF was compared before and after adding PSOL. The micromorphology of CF/EP composites was also observed. The consequences demonstrate that the interfacial bonding ability between CF and matrix was improved after adding PSOL. The interlaminar shear strength, tensile strength, elongation at break and flexural strength of PSOL/CF/EP composites were increased by 23.28%, 18.49%, 38.45% and 11.23%, respectively. Furthermore, the original thermal stability of the composite was preserved after the modification of PSOL.