EFFECT OF SIZING MATERIALS OF CARBON-FIBER ON SOLID-STATE CURE OF POLY(P-PHENYLENE SULFIDE)

The effect of sized carbon fibers on the solid-state cure of poly(p-ph enylene sulfide) (PPS) was studied using differential scanning calorim etry. PPS resin reinforced with sized carbon fiber exhibited the large st cure peak for all cure temperatures and showed a second peak at low cure temperature which was absent in both PPS reinforced with desized carbon fiber and neat PPS resin. In a separate experiment in which ep oxy prepolymer/PPS mixture was cured, the exothermic reaction was rela ted to the presence of the epoxy sizing used on the carbon fiber. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.