Jung, Ha na Bae, Kwak Jin Oh, Yuna Jin, Jeong-Un You, Nam-Ho Yu, Jaesang 2024-01-19T09:34:12Z 2024-01-19T09:34:12Z 2023-05-11 2023-04 https://pubs.kist.re.kr/handle/201004/113812 In this study, polyether ether ketone (PEEK) composites reinforced with newly developed water-dispersible polyimide (PI)-sized carbon fibers (CFs) were developed to enhance the effects of the interfacial interaction between PI-sized CFs and a PEEK polymer on their thermo-mechanical properties. The PI sizing layers on these CFs may be induced to interact vigorously with the p-phenylene groups of PEEK polymer chains because of increased electron affinity. Therefore, these PI-sized CFs are effective for improving the interfacial adhesion of PEEK composites. PEEK composites were reinforced with C-CFs, de-CFs, and PI-sized CFs. The PI-sized CFs were prepared by spin-coating a water-dispersible PAS suspension onto the de-CFs, followed by heat treatment for imidization. The composites were cured using a compression molding machine at a constant temperature and pressure. Atomic force and scanning electron microscopy observations of the structures and morphologies of the carbon fiber surfaces verified the improvement of their thermo-mechanical properties. Molecular dynamics simulations were used to investigate the effects of PI sizing agents on the stronger interfacial interaction energy between the PI-sized CFs and the PEEK polymer. These results suggest that optimal amounts of PI sizing agents increased the interfacial properties between the CFs and the PEEK polymer. English MDPI Open Access Publishing Effects on the Thermo-Mechanical and Interfacial Performance of Newly Developed PI-Sized Carbon Fiber-Polyether Ether Ketone Composites: Experiments and Molecular Dynamics Simulations Article 10.3390/polym15071646 1 Polymers, v.15, no.7 Polymers 15 7 Y scie scopus 000969831400001 2-s2.0-85152859341 Polymer Science Polymer Science Article REINFORCED PEEK COMPOSITES TRIBOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES TEMPERATURE STRENGTH NANOPARTICLES ROUGHNESS ADHESION carbon fiber polyimide sizing agent interfacial adhesion thermo-mechanical properties molecular dynamics simulations