Influence of fiber wettability on the interfacial adhesion of continuous fiber‐reinforced PPESK composite

Abstract Interfacial adhesion between fiber and matrix has a strong influence on composite mechanical performance: better interfacial adhesion can enhance composite transverse properties, flexural properties, and interlaminar shear strength, and so on. To exploit the reinforcement potential of the fibers in advanced composite, it is necessary to reach a deeper understanding on the relation between fiber wettability and interfacial adhesion. In our experiment, we study the influence of fiber wettability on interfacial properties of fiber/PPESK composites by choosing three kinds of fibers with different wettabilities. The relation between fiber wettability and surface free energy was discussed, and the influence of fiber wettability on the interfacial property of fiber/PPESK composites was analyzed. Results indicate that higher surface free energy can enhance the wettability between fiber and matrix, and the humid resistance and interfacial adhesion can be improved at the same time. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 2544–2551, 2006