Fiber-Matrix Interactions in Thermoplastic Composites

Abstract

Mechanisms by which the surface of a fiber can influence the local polymer behavior are reviewed. A survey of existing surface data suggests that current fiber surface treatments appear to have been optimized for polar thermosetting systems rather than thermoplastic composites. Assessments of fiber-polymer interaction energies for a variety of thermoplastic composites suggest that an interphase zone may be created by entropically driven mechanisms that promote the accumulation of low-molecular- weight species in the vicinity of the fiber. The implications of such low-molecular-weight sheaths are discussed.