CHARACTERIZATION OF KEVLAR-ASTERISK FIBERS USING SELECTED PROBES

The characterization of KEVLAR-29 fibers has been performed by studyin g their interactions with three model compounds in gaseous form. Water , aniline, and epoxystyrene were used for this purpose. The effects on the nature of these interactions of two types of surface engineering, namely the coating with an epoxy resin and a reactive plasma treatmen t, were also studied. The results obtained from the three analytical t echniques used in this work provide a more fundamental understanding o f the fiber bulk properties vs. their surface characteristics. The dif fusion, condensation, plasticization, and adsorption mechanisms involv ed during the interactions between the probes and the KEVLAR fibers ar e evidenced and discussed. (C) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.