EDGE WETTING ANGLES AND CONVERSION DEPTH OF EPOXY BINDER IN COMPOSITIONS WITH NICKEL-CONTAINING CARBON-FIBERS

Dynamics of edge wetting angles of nickel-containing carbon fibers (Ni -YB) by an epoxy binder and by some of its components depending on the fiber carbonization temperature and the metal content was analysed. A n ambiguous influence of nickel-containing carbon fibers on the physic ochemical processes taking place on the filler-epoxy binder interface was revealed. On the one hand, the introduction of metal into carbon f ibers leads to the improvement of wetting nickel-containing carbon fib ers by the epoxy binder. On the other hand, this results in reduction in conversion depth of epoxy oligomer into the three-dimensional produ ct. Its low-molecular component was revealed to make a major contribut ion to the reduction in wetting angles of Ni-YB by the binder. At the same time it is found that improvement of wetting nickel-containing ca rbon fibers with epoxy oligomer matrix in contrast to the composites w ith unmodified carbon fibers is not a determinal factor in increasing the adhesion strength and improving physicomechanical characteristics.