Teknologi

Komposit
Interface Interphase
The structure and properties of the fiber-matrix
interface play a major role in the mechanical and
physical properties of composite materials

the large differences between the elastic properties

of the matrix and the fibers have to be
communicated through the interface

the stresses acting on the matrix are transmitted to

the fiber across the interface
Reinforced Matrix Interface

Interface :
Media untuk mentransfer beban dari fiber matrix fiber

Sifat yang dipengaruhi oleh interface :

Strength
Stiffness
Fracture Toughness
Creep fatigue
Environment degradation
 Interface
There is always an interface between constituent phases in a
composite material
For the composite to operate effectively, the phases must bond where
they join at the interface

Fg 1 : Interfaces between phases in a composite material: (a)

direct bonding between primary and secondary phases
 Interphase
In some cases, a third ingredient must be added to achieve
bonding of primary and secondary phases
Called an interphase, this third ingredient can be thought
of as an adhesive

Figure 2 - Interfaces between phases: (b) addition of a third

ingredient to bond the primary phases and form an interphase
 Another Interphase

Interphase consisting of a solution of primary and

secondary phases

Figure 3 - Interfaces and interphases between phases in a

composite material: (c) formation of an interphase by solution of
the primary and secondary phases at their boundary
Definition of Fiber-matrix Interface and Interphase

Interface: It is the boundary demarcating the distinct phase of fiber, matrix and coating layer
Interphase: It is a region where coating and matrix diffused into each others domain and
form a flexible, three-dimensional polymer network. The key purpose of the network is to
provide a lattice that the matrix molecule can penetrate and come in close proximity to fibers.
The interphase is responsible for transferring the load from the matrix to the fibers. Formation
of interphase region and the resulting properties are poorly understood.
Coating:
Sizing protect fibers from mechanical damage
Finishes Enhance bonding of fiber to matrix (Polyvinyle acetate or organosilane coupling agent)
Interphase probably has lower modulus and strength than fiber and matrix.
Fiber Matrix Interface
Why are fiber matrix interfaces important?
1. Ef & Em quite different
Such large differences are shared through the interface.
Stresses acting on the matrix are transmitted to the fiber across the
interface.

2. The interfacial bond can influence

Composite strength
Modes of failure
Youngs modulus
Interlaminar shear strength
Compressive strength
Critical fiver length
Environmental resistance
Structural stability at elevate temperatures
Fracture and fatigue behavior
Fiber Matrix Interface
Why are fiber matrix interfaces important?

Weak interface:
Composites provide low strength and stiffness. Promotes fiber de-bonding and
pull-out which provide higher fracture toughness

Strong Interface:
Provides high strength but low fracture toughness (Except Short Fiber requires
strong bonding for higher fracture toughness)
Interface

Ag Ag
Diffusie

AM-NC AM-NC

Bi-2223
precursor Bi-2223

Ag/BSCCO composite
 Interface
SiC coating on Al: 3SiC + 4Al Al4C3 + 3Si

Al4C3 degrades reinforcement strength Al-Si eutecticum

(De Hosson, Groningen)

Theory of Adhesion
Types of Bonding
Chemical
Electrical
Mechanical

Theory of Adhesion (Surface Chemistry)

Perfect fiber matrix interface requires that liquid resin wet or spread the fiber
surface
Contact angle formed by a drop of liquid on a surface is often taken as an indication of
wettability measurement
Surface Tension or Free Energy
Forces on a molecule in bulk are balanced.
Forces on a molecule at the surface are unbalanced. This unbalanced force gives rise to
surface free energy.
Work of adhesion WA is defined as the work required to separate two particles and
defined in terms of surface energy
WA = A + B AB = surface free energy

Wetting requires that the surface energy of the adherent (reinforcement) be greater than
adhesive surface energy


> 90 = 90 < 90
No Wetting Poor Wetting Good Wetting
= 0 for spontaneous wetting
Surface forces:
LV = Liquid Vapor phase
SL = Solid Liquid phase
SV = Solid Vapor phase

1. SV = LVcos + SL
2. Work of adhesion, WA 1 = Liquid Surface Energy
WA = 1 + 2 12 2 = Solid Surface Energy
WA = LV + SV SL 12 = Free energy at L-S Interface
= LV + LV cos + SL SL
= LV (1 + cos) + (2)
LV and contact angle can be determined exp.
In some cases, bond strength can be equated to WA
 For spontaneous wetting:
e.g. Adhesive a = 3.5 4.5 x 10-2 N/m
Fiber surface f = 4.5 x 10-2 N/m
Improper wetting may cause voids at the interface that lead to stress corrosion and
result in cracking.
Criteria for Better Wetting:
Surface must be free of foreign particles. This removes weak boundary layer or
contaminants (H2O, organic vapor, nitrates, ketones, alcohols, amines)
A large interfacial area of intimate contact
Thermodynamically, a high surface-energy surface is the most conductive to
good wetting, particularly if adhesive contains polar functional group.
Surface energy of the adherent (reinforcement) should be greater than the
adhesive surface energy (matrix).
Creation or addition of chemical group
Variation in surface topography (mechanical interlocking)
Five Primary Adhesion Mechanism

Adsorption and wetting

Interdiffusion
Electrostatic attraction
Primary chemical bonding
Mechanical interlocking
Adsorption and Wetting
Adsorption theory
Ordinary dispersion of Van der Waals forces can be responsible for adhesive
strength if sufficiently intimate contact is achieved
Hydrogen bonding can enhance adhesion
Primary chemical bonding may provide the links across the interface in some
cases
e.g. Secondary force interaction

The attraction only due to dispersion

forces:
Theoretical: 100 MPa !!
Experimental: Strength of most joints
much smaller
Why
Air voids, cracks, geometric defects acting as stress raisers when the
joint is loaded.
Impurities like H2O, organic vapor, nitrates, ketones, alcohol, and
amines can weaken adhesion.
Adsorption and wetting
If two polymers are compatible, good bonding can be
achieved.
WA can not always be equated with bond strength since
bond strength also contains energy
For WA Wpeel, at low temperatures, high peel rate

Surface Tension Data:

Substrate (reinforcement) Adhesive (Matrix, Liquid)
Glass: 560 mJ/m2 Polyester: 35 mJ/m2
Graphite: 70 mJ/m2 Epoxy: 43 mJ/m2
Polyethylene: 31 mJ/m2 P.E. < Epoxy
Can epoxy wet P.E.? -No
Interdiffusion
It is possible to form a bond between two polymer
surfaces by the diffusion of the polymer molecules on one
surface into the molecular network of the other surface
Interdiffusion may account in part for the boding achieved
when fibers are pre-coated with polymer before
incorporating into polymer matrix
Electrostatic Attraction
Forces of attraction occur between two surfaces when
one surface carries a net positive charge and the
other surface a net negative charge as in the case of
acid-base interactions and ionic bonding
Electrostatic Adhesion
Acid-Base interaction
Ionic Bonding

Strength of the interface dependent on charge density

Unlikely to make major contribution to the final bond
strength

Exception: If ionic functional silanes (coupling agent in glass

fiber) are used, the anionic functional groups may be
attracted to an anion surface and vice versa.
Chemical Bonding
A chemical bond is formed between a chemical grouping on the
fiber surface and a compatible chemical group in the matrix
The strength of the bond depends on the number and type of
bonds and interface failure must involve bond breakage
Primary (chemical) Bonding
More important than secondary bonding. Although secondary
bonding forces alone may result in adequate joint strength,
additional presence of primary bonding my often increase the
joint strength.
Primary bonding is important
to secure environmentally
stable interface

Ex. Coupling agent Glass Surface

Polymer matrices Carbon Fiber

Techniques to study chemical bonding of interface:

Laser
X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS)
Secondary-ion mass spectroscopy
Inelastic Electron Tunelling
Mechanical Interlocking
Interlocking of the adhesive into irregular rifts of
the substrate surface is the key source of intrinsic
adhesion.
Generally not applicable.
Mechanical Adhesion
Some bonding may occur purely by the mechanical
interlocking of two surfaces
The strength of this interface in tension is unlikely to
be high unless there are a large number of re-entrant
angles on the fiber surface
The strength in shear may be very significant and
depends on the degree of roughness
 Measurement of bond strength
Consider two solids A and B bonded
together and tested in uniaxial tension as
illustrated in figure beside. If A and B
behave as linear elastic solids and the bond
strength is less than the strength of both A
and B then the stress-strain curve to failure
will be as shown and separation will occur at
the interface at a critical stress f. the work
done per unit area in creating two new
surfaces, W, is given as :

W = A + B - AB
Schematic diagram of a layer composite
material
Adhesive and cohesive failure
A further complication evaluating
experimental results is the difficulty of
establishing whether or not failure has
occurred at interface
There are three possibilities which are
illustrated in figure beside
True adhesive failure occurs by separation
at interface whereas cohesive failure
involves fracture of either the fiber or
matrix.
 Experimental measurements
There are two main approaches to the determination of bond
strength, one involving tests with single fibers, and the other
tests on unidirectional laminae
Both these test require very precise aligment of the fibre and are
inherently difficult and unreilable because of the problem
associated with specimen preparation.
Experimental measurements
Fracture surface observation
An indirect measure of the strength of the interface bond can sometimes
be obtained from the appearance of the fracture surface
Figure beside
(a), (b) Fiber without chemical coupling agent,
(c), (d) Fiber with chemical coupling agent

a b

c d
Fig.7.4 : Schematic stress distributions and load displacement plot during the single
fibre pull out test. The applied load generates an interfacial shear stress, which has a
peak to the front surface. At some critical applied load o, this shear stress causes
the interface to debond. Debonding then speards along the interface and subsequent
intergacial motion is by frictional sliding.
Fig.7.5: Scanning Electron Micrographs (Watson and Clyne 1992) of a
wedge shaped Ti-6Al-4V/30%SiC monofilament specimen after single
fiber push out testing, showing a) the top surface and b) the underside
near the thin end the wedge
Fig.7.6 : Schematic stress distributions and load displacement plot during the single fibre
push out test. One different from the pull-out test (see Fig.7.4) is that the poisson effect
cause the fiber to expand (rather than contact), which raises (rather than offsets) the radial
compressive stress acrss the interface due to differential thermal contraction.
Fig.7.7 : Comparison between experimental (photoelastic) data and predictions from
shear lag model and FEM modeling for the distribution of interfacial shear stress along
the length of a fibre, starting from the top, during push-out of a resin fibre in a matrix
of a different resin ( Kalton et al 1994)