EFFECT OF MOLDING PARAMETERS ON THE INTERFACIAL STRENGTH IN PEEK CARBON COMPOSITES

The objective of this work was to investigate the effects of molding c onditions (molding temperature, residence time at melt temperature and cooling rate) on the interfacial performance in PEEK/carbon composite s made from both prepreg and commingled forms. The results show that a minimum molding temperature and residence time are essential requirem ents to produce efficient fiber/matrix adhesion in the commingled fabr ic system. Moreover, a transition between cohesive and adhesive fractu re is observed when the cooling rate increases from 30-degrees-C/min t o 63-degrees-C/min for the composite made from the commingled fabric. While good fiber/matrix bonding is always present in the PEEK/carbon p repreg form, the interfacial strength of the APC-2 laminates is also s ignificantly affected by the cooling rate.