Effects of chemical composition and thermal stability of finishes on the compatibility between glass fiber and high melting temperature thermoplastics

Experimental studies were made on the surface characteristics of glass fibe rs with two different finishes. The effects of the chemical composition and thermal stability of the finishes on the compatibility between glass fiber s and high melting temperature thermoplastics were investigated. Thermograv imetric Analysis (TGA) was used to characterize the composition of surface finishes and their thermal stability. The chemical composition of surface f inishes was investigated using a combination of X-ray photoelectron spectro scopy (XPS) and Time-of-Flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF SIMS). Static contact angle measurements were performed at room temperature to cha racterize the interfacial tension between the glass fibers and thermoplasti cs. The study provides a fundamental understanding on some important compat ibility issues between thermoplastic resins and glass fiber related to comp osite fabrication and applications.