Interfacial Reinforcement through Hierarchical Polymer Nanofiber Interfaces
Abstract
A composite made from a strong fiber and a well-suited matrix may not necessarily result in a strong material because the fiber-matrix interface is equally important in determining the mechanical performance of the composite. Ultimately the successful development of a composite material is defined by the quality of the interface. The proposed research would seek to perform a fundamental investigation of recently identified aramid nanofibers as an interface reinforcing material for polymer matrix composites. The mechanical behavior of nanoscale polymer crystals has not been studied and may provide significant improvement in mechanical properties much like CNTs vs carbon fibers. Since the processing approach uses a controlled deprotonation and dissolution process to transform microscale Kevlar fibers into nanometer scale aramid and has been shown to preserve the fiber’s chemical and crystalline structure it can be expected that the dissolution process will yield equally high or better strength, stiffness, toughness as the micro-scale fiber. The proposed research will combine measurements of the interfacial strength of bare and ANF reinforced fibers with results from ANF reinforced nanocomposites to elucidate the mechanical behavior of the interface and the mechanisms dictating failure. This research will provide a fundamental understanding of nanoscale polymeric reinforcements and identify the surface chemistry and matrix properties to enable maximum strength. Furthermore, this effort will provide a foundation for the development of this class of materials, which may alleviate many of the challenges posed by current nanoscale reinforcements such as carbon nanotubes. All composite materials benefit from an improved fiber/matrix interface and this work will provide new insight and methods to design damage resistance composite structures.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 21, 2022
- Source ID
- FA95502110019XX0
Entities
People
- Henry A Sodano
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Board of Regents of the University of Michigan
- United States Air Force