Electrophoretic deposition of Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets onto high modulus carbon fiber enhances their composites interfacial properties

Due to the extremely high surface inertness of the high modulus carbon fiber (HMCF), the matrix is unable to form well-wetted on HMCF surface, and the interface interaction is so weak that the load cannot be effectively transferred from the matrix to the fiber, tending to interlaminar delamination. This work explores a facile method for using Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets to enhance the interfacial properties of HMCF composites via electrophoretic deposition (EPD). The EPD process can control spatial uniformity in deposition density and the content of Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets on the surface of HMCF. The effects of deposition time on the microstructure of the HMCF surface and properties of the composites were systematically investigated. The results show that the introduction of Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets not only changes the surface morphology of HMCF, but also significantly improves the surface energy. These changes increased the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) and the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of the HMCF composites by 46.9 % and 49.9 %, respectively. Meanwhile, the EPD process did not damage the tensile strength of HMCF. Therefore, the EPD of Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets is a simple, highly replicable, and scalable method of improving the interfacial properties of HMCF composites, and has the potential for large-scale industrial application.