MODIFICATION OF CARBON FIBERS AND FABRICS FOR THEIR USE AS REINFORCING COMPONENTS IN COMPOSITE MATERIALS

The study investigated the effect of low-energy ion flow on the surface properties and interphase interaction of carbon reinforcing materials with a polymer binder, as well as on the mechanical characteristics of the resulting polymer composite materials. The aim of the study was to investigate the possibility of purposefully increasing fiber-matrix adhesion while optimizing the polymer matrix fraction without losing the strength of the composite by using a low-energy ion flow. The objects of the study were mass-produced carbon fibers of grades T300 and UMT42, carbon tapes of grades KULON-500/0.07 and LU-P/0.2, and carbon fabrics of grades CC 245 and CC 201. The study of the properties of the materials included the investigation of the surface micro-relief, chemical transformations, changes in the contact angle, and mechanical characteristics. The theoretical basis of the study was formed by physical and mathematical models that take into account the ion effect and recombination in the interfilament space of fibrous materials. It was shown that the flow of low-energy ions forms a developed micro-relief on the surface of carbon fibers and increases the proportion of polar groups on the surface, which reduces the contact angle by 20-40% and increases the surface energy. As a result, a transition of the destruction mechanism from fiber pulling out of the polymer matrix to bond breaking is observed. When used as reinforcing modified fibrous carbon materials, it was possible to reduce the polymer matrix content to 40 %, while the integral mechanical properties of the composite improved. The results obtained expand our understanding of the interaction between low-energy ion flows and carbon fillers and open up practical ways to improve the efficiency of composite materials for the aerospace, automotive, and energy industries.