The mechanical interlocking and wetting at the interface between argon plasma treated UHMPE fiber and vinylester resin

The ultra high modulus polyethylene (UHMPE) fiber was treated with argon pl asma in order to improve the interfacial adhesion of UHMPE fiber/vinylester composites. Argon plasma treatment of the UHMPE fiber introduces micro-pit tings and roughness onto the UHMPE fiber surface. These micro-pittings and surface roughness increase the interfacial adhesion of the UHMPE fiber/viny lester composites through the mechanical interlocking between the UHMPE fib er and vinylester resin. Argon plasma treatment also changes the UHMPE fibe r surface into chemically more inert state in comparison with the control U HMPE fiber surface. These chemical changes decrease the efficiency of the m echanical interlocking as the inert surface makes the wetting of the UHMPE fiber by the vinylester resin difficult. In this study, the mechanical inte rlocking through the micro-pittings is known to play a key role in improvin g the interfacial adhesion of UHMPE fiber/vinylester composites by the argo n plasma treatment. However, the complete wetting of the UHMPE fiber by the vinylester resin is known to be an important requirement for the effective mechanical interlocking between the UHMPE fiber and vinylester resin. (C) 1999 Kluwer Academic Publishers.