Electrocoating of carbon fibres: A route for interface control in carbon fibre reinforced poly methylmethacrylate?

A simple method of creating defined PMMA and poly (MMA-co-Cz) electrocoatings on carbon fibres is described. The electrodeposition of poly methylmethacrylate (PMMA) onto unsized, unmodified carbon fibres was performed by simple constant current electrolyses of methylmethacrylate (MMA) monomer in dimethylformamide (DMF) solutions and the ‘pure’ liquid monomer using sodium nitrate and lithium perchlorate as supporting electrolytes. The presence of polymeric coatings successfully attached to the carbon fibres was verified by scanning electron microscopy and photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Performing the electrolysis in dilute MMA in DMF solutions ([MMA] < 5 M) results in the deposition of powder-like polymer on the carbon fibre electrodes. Increasing the MMA concentration in the DMF solution results in a homogeneous PMMA coating of the carbon fibres. The degree of grafting or coating increases with increasing MMA concentration, except when pure MMA is used without solvent. The adhesive strength between the electrocoated carbon fibres and a PMMA matrix was determined using the single fibre pull-out test. It was found that the interfacial fracture behaviour of all carbon fibre/PMMA model composites is rather brittle. The adhesion strength between the unmodified carbon fibres and the PMMA matrix was equal to the cohesive strength of the polymer matrix itself. Nevertheless, the electrodeposition of thin and homogeneous PMMA coatings resulted in much improved adhesion strengths.