The effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) coating in the presence of polyethyleneimine (PEI) of different molecular weights (MW) on the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of carbon fiber/acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) and carbon fiber/epoxy composites was investigated. The IFSS between the carbon fiber and the polymer was evaluated by means of single fiber microbonding test. The results indicated that uses of the carbon fibers uncoated and coated with pristine, low MW PEI-treated, and high MW PEI-treated MWCNT significantly influenced the IFSS of both thermoplastic and thermosetting carbon fiber composites as well as the carbon fiber surface topography. The incorporation of low MW (about 1300) PEI into the carboxylated MWCNT was more effective not only to uniformly coat the carbon fiber with the MWCNT but also to improve the interfacial bonding strength between the carbon fiber and the polymer than that of high MW (about 25,000) PEI. In addition, carbon fiber/epoxy composite exhibited the IFSS much higher than carbon fiber/ABS composite due to the chemical interactions between the epoxy resin and amine groups existing in the PEI-treated MWCNT.

This study suggests the novel thermoplastic toughening agent, which can be applied in the monomer forms without increasing the viscosity of the epoxy resin and polymerized during the resin curing. The diazide (p-BAB) and dialkyne (SPB) compounds are synthesized and mixed with the epoxy resin and the carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites are prepared using vacuum infusion process (VIP). Then, flexural and drop weight tests are performed to evaluate the improvement in the toughness of the prepared composites to investigate the potential of the novel toughening agent. When 10 phr of p-BAB and SPB is added, the flexural properties are improved, maintaining the modulus as well as the toughness is improved. Even with a small amount of polytriazolesulfone polymerized, due to the filtering effect of the solid SPB by the layered carbon fabrics during the VIP, the toughening and strengthening effect were observed from the novel toughening agent, which could be added in monomer forms, p-BAB and SPB. This suggests that the novel toughening agent has a potential to be used for the composites prepared from viscosity sensitive process, such as resin transfer molding and VIP.

Composites of ceramic powders and an elastomer-based matrix were prepared by mixing CaCO3 powders with polyethylene and polypropylene elastomers, and their mechanical and sound insulation properties were measured. CaCO3 powders with 0.7 μm and 35 μm particle size were added to elastomers up to 80 wt%. Scanning electron microscopy photographs showed uniform distribution of the CaCO3 powders in the matrix. While density and surface hardness increased, melt index, tensile strength and elongation of the composites decreased as the amount of added CaCO3 powders increased. As more CaCO3 powders were added sound transmission loss of the composites increased owing to the increase of density. Addition of 0.7 μm sized CaCO3 powders resulted in a slightly higher transmission loss than the addition of 35 μm sized powders because of the increased interface area between the elastomer matrix and the CaCO3 powders. Composites with a polyethylene matrix showed higher transmission loss than those with a polypropylene matrix because the tensile strength and hardness of the polyethylene-based composites were low and their elongation was high.

The effect of surface free energy on the positive temperature coefficient (PTC) of carbon black/thermoplastic resin composites was investigated. The thermoplastic resins such as EVA, LDPE, LLDPE and HDPE were used with the addition of 30 wt.% of the carbon black. The surface free energy of the composites was studied in the context of two-liquid contact angle measurements, i.e., deionized water and diiodomethane. It was observed that the resistivity on PTC composites Was greatly increased near the crystalline melting temperature, due to the thermal expansion of polymeric matrix. From the experimental results, it was proposed that the decrease of surface free energy induced by interactions between carbon black surfaces and polymer chains is an important factor to the fabrication of a PTC composite made of carbon black and polymeric matrix.