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Tensile Properties of Polyimide Composites Incorporating Carbon Nanotubes-Grafted and Polyimide-Coated Carbon Fibers

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Abstract

The tensile properties and fracture behavior of polyimide composite bundles incorporating carbon nanotubes-grafted (CNT-grafted) and polyimide-coated (PI-coated) high-tensile-strength polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based (T1000GB), and high-modulus pitch-based (K13D) carbon fibers were investigated. The CNT were grown on the surface of the carbon fibers by chemical vapor deposition. The pyromellitic dianhydride/4,4′-oxydianiline PI nanolayer coating was deposited on the surface of the carbon fiber by high-temperature vapor deposition polymerization. The results clearly demonstrate that CNT grafting and PI coating were effective for improving the Weibull modulus of T1000GB PAN-based and K13D pitch-based carbon fiber bundle composites. In addition, the average tensile strength of the PI-coated T1000GB carbon fiber bundle composites was also higher than that of the as-received carbon fiber bundle composites, while the average tensile strength of the CNT-grafted T1000GB, K13D, and the PI-coated K13D carbon fiber bundle composites was similar to that of the as-received carbon fiber bundle composites.

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Notes

  1. The tensile tests of both heat-treated single carbon fibers (at 750 °C for an hour in vacuum) were also conducted under laboratory conditions at room temperature (at 23 ± 3 °C and 50 ± 5% relative humidity). Twenty specimens of each type of carbon fiber samples were tested. A gage length L of 25 mm and a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min were used. The average tensile modulus, strength, and Weibull modulus of both heat-treated single carbon fibers (E f = 299 ± 18 GPa, σf = 5.71 ± 0.97 GPa, m f = 6.22 (T1000GB) and E f = 941 ± 31 GPa, σf = 3.17 ± 0.80 GPa, m f = 4.09 (K13D)) were similar to those of the as-received state.

  2. The normalized tensile modulus E b and fracture strength σbf of the unidirectional bundle composite were calculated using the simple rule for mixtures:\(E_{\text{b}} = \frac{{E_{\text{f}} V_{\text{f}} + E_{\text{m}} V_{\text{m}} }}{{V_{\text{f}} }} \qquad \qquad {\hbox{Eq } 4}\) \(\upsigma_{\text{bf}} = \frac{{\upsigma_{\text{f}} V_{\text{f}} + \upvarepsilon_{\text{f}} E_{\text{m}} V_{\text{m}} }}{{V_{\text{f}} }} \qquad \qquad {\hbox{Eq } 5}\) in which E f, E m, V f, V m (=1 − V f), σf, and εf are the tensile modulus of the fiber and matrix, the volume fractions of the fiber and matrix, tensile strength of fiber, and failure strain of the fiber, respectively. The tensile modulus and strength values calculated from the Eq 1-3 were similar to those obtained from the above equations (Eq 4, 5). The tensile modulus values of the T1000GB PAN-based and K13D pitch-based carbon fibers E f were 291 and 940 GPa (Ref 3), respectively. The tensile modulus of bulk polyimide was found to be 3.77 GPa (Ref 33) (The tensile modulus of polyimide with CNT is expected to be slightly higher than in the absence of CNT. However, this effect was not considered in this case). The tensile strength values of the T1000GB PAN-based and K13D pitch-based carbon fibers were 5.69 and 3.21 GPa (Ref 3). The failure strain values of the T1000GB PAN-based and K13D pitch-based carbon fibers εf were 2.06 and 0.36% (Ref 3). The tensile modulus E b and strength σbf predicted from the rule of mixtures of the as-received, CNT-grafted, and PI-coated T1000GB PAN-based and K13d pitch-based bundle composites were approximately E b = 293 (T1000GB), 943-944 (K13D) GPa, σbf = 5.74 (T1000GB), 3.22 (K13D) GPa, respectively. The influence of the volume fraction of fiber on the tensile modulus and strength could not be observed. The difference in the tensile modulus and strength values obtained from the results was considered to be a result of surface modifications (CNT-grafted and PI-coated) on the surface of the fibers.

  3. The tensile fracture surfaces at several locations on the CNT-grafted, PI-coated, and as-received T1000GB and K13D carbon fiber bundle composites were observed using the SEM. At certain locations, the fractured surfaces of the CNT-grafted and PI-coated T1000GB and K13D carbon fiber bundle composites were similar to those of the as-received samples, especially at the center of the bundle composite. However, at nearly all of the locations, the fractured surfaces of the CNT-grafted, PI-coated, and as-received T1000GB and K13D carbon fiber bundle composites were similar to those in Fig. 4 and 5.

  4. It is important to evaluate tensile strength using a bimodal Weibull distribution. The bimodal Weibull distribution of the strength is sometimes used to evaluate the Weibull parameters (Ref 36). However, the unimodal (single modal) Weibull distribution is still a preferred choice, if the number of test specimens is limited (Ref 36).

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by JST (Japan Science and Technology Agency) through Advanced Low Carbon Technology Research and Development Program (ALCA).

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  1. Composite Materials Group, Hybrid Materials Unit, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0047, Japan

    Kimiyoshi Naito

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Naito, K. Tensile Properties of Polyimide Composites Incorporating Carbon Nanotubes-Grafted and Polyimide-Coated Carbon Fibers. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 23, 3245–3256 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-014-1110-9

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