Interfacial Strength in Hierarchical Carbon Fiber Composites: Interplay of Interphase Modulus and Roughness

Nihal Kanbargi; Sumit Gupta; Sargun Singh Rohewal; Logan T. Kearney; Amit K. Naskar

doi:10.1002/admi.202500135

Interfacial Strength in Hierarchical Carbon Fiber Composites: Interplay of Interphase Modulus and Roughness

Nihal Kanbargi, Sumit Gupta, Sargun Singh Rohewal, Logan T. Kearney, Amit K. Naskar

Carbon and Composites

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

A facile, direct deposition approach that exploits van der Waals interactions between carbonaceous materials is utilized to create unidirectional hybrid carbon fiber composites. Two small molecule crosslinkers, a trifunctional aromatic (TL) and a difunctional aliphatic (DL) acyl chloride, are first utilized to create a crosslinked interphase with a softer and stiffer modulus respectively. TL crosslinked interphase with a higher modulus improved the tensile strength by 50%, despite non-covalent linking between fiber and matrix, elucidating the critical role of the interphase in alleviating modulus mismatch between the high modulus carbon fiber and the rubbery matrix. Fractional quantities of carbon nanotubes are additionally dispersed in the small molecule crosslinkers which behaved as a dispersant, helping introduce nanoasperities on the carbon fiber surface. Strong “pi-pi” interactions between CNTs and CF contributed to tensile properties, which are increased by 66% compared to the control. A cohesive zone model suggests that a stiffer interphase is better able to exploit surface heterogeneities and roughness on the fiber, synergistically enhancing interfacial strength.

Original language	English
Article number	2500135
Journal	Advanced Materials Interfaces
Volume	12
Issue number	13
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.202500135
State	Published - Jul 14 2025

Funding

This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the US Department of Energy (DOE). The US Government retains, and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US Government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for US Government purposes. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan (http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan). This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division [FWP# ERKCK60], under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with UT-Battelle, LLC. S.S.R. acknowledges Graduate Advancement & Training Education (GATE) Fellowship from The University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute (UT-ORII) that supports collaborative research between UT and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This research utilized resources of the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) which is one of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facilities operated by Oak Ridge National Laboratory under the DOE User Facility Program. This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division [FWP# ERKCK60], under contract DE‐AC05‐00OR22725 with UT‐Battelle, LLC. S.S.R. acknowledges Graduate Advancement & Training Education (GATE) Fellowship from The University of Tennessee‐Oak Ridge Innovation Institute (UT‐ORII) that supports collaborative research between UT and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This research utilized resources of the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) which is one of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facilities operated by Oak Ridge National Laboratory under the DOE User Facility Program. This manuscript has been authored by UT‐Battelle, LLC, under contract DE‐AC05‐00OR22725 with the US Department of Energy (DOE). The US Government retains, and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US Government retains a nonexclusive, paid‐up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for US Government purposes. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan ( http://energy.gov/downloads/doe‐public‐access‐plan ).

Keywords

adhesion
fiber reinforced composite
interfacial failure
interphase

Access to Document

10.1002/admi.202500135

Cite this

@article{9d8e80734f0c4b4383d2920bd8f33e1f,

title = "Interfacial Strength in Hierarchical Carbon Fiber Composites: Interplay of Interphase Modulus and Roughness",

abstract = "A facile, direct deposition approach that exploits van der Waals interactions between carbonaceous materials is utilized to create unidirectional hybrid carbon fiber composites. Two small molecule crosslinkers, a trifunctional aromatic (TL) and a difunctional aliphatic (DL) acyl chloride, are first utilized to create a crosslinked interphase with a softer and stiffer modulus respectively. TL crosslinked interphase with a higher modulus improved the tensile strength by 50\%, despite non-covalent linking between fiber and matrix, elucidating the critical role of the interphase in alleviating modulus mismatch between the high modulus carbon fiber and the rubbery matrix. Fractional quantities of carbon nanotubes are additionally dispersed in the small molecule crosslinkers which behaved as a dispersant, helping introduce nanoasperities on the carbon fiber surface. Strong “pi-pi” interactions between CNTs and CF contributed to tensile properties, which are increased by 66\% compared to the control. A cohesive zone model suggests that a stiffer interphase is better able to exploit surface heterogeneities and roughness on the fiber, synergistically enhancing interfacial strength.",

keywords = "adhesion, fiber reinforced composite, interfacial failure, interphase",

author = "Nihal Kanbargi and Sumit Gupta and Rohewal, \{Sargun Singh\} and Kearney, \{Logan T.\} and Naskar, \{Amit K.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 The Author(s). Advanced Materials Interfaces published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.",

year = "2025",

month = jul,

day = "14",

doi = "10.1002/admi.202500135",

language = "English",

volume = "12",

journal = "Advanced Materials Interfaces",

issn = "2196-7350",

publisher = "Wiley Open Access",

number = "13",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Interfacial Strength in Hierarchical Carbon Fiber Composites

T2 - Interplay of Interphase Modulus and Roughness

AU - Kanbargi, Nihal

AU - Gupta, Sumit

AU - Rohewal, Sargun Singh

AU - Kearney, Logan T.

AU - Naskar, Amit K.

PY - 2025/7/14

Y1 - 2025/7/14

N2 - A facile, direct deposition approach that exploits van der Waals interactions between carbonaceous materials is utilized to create unidirectional hybrid carbon fiber composites. Two small molecule crosslinkers, a trifunctional aromatic (TL) and a difunctional aliphatic (DL) acyl chloride, are first utilized to create a crosslinked interphase with a softer and stiffer modulus respectively. TL crosslinked interphase with a higher modulus improved the tensile strength by 50%, despite non-covalent linking between fiber and matrix, elucidating the critical role of the interphase in alleviating modulus mismatch between the high modulus carbon fiber and the rubbery matrix. Fractional quantities of carbon nanotubes are additionally dispersed in the small molecule crosslinkers which behaved as a dispersant, helping introduce nanoasperities on the carbon fiber surface. Strong “pi-pi” interactions between CNTs and CF contributed to tensile properties, which are increased by 66% compared to the control. A cohesive zone model suggests that a stiffer interphase is better able to exploit surface heterogeneities and roughness on the fiber, synergistically enhancing interfacial strength.

AB - A facile, direct deposition approach that exploits van der Waals interactions between carbonaceous materials is utilized to create unidirectional hybrid carbon fiber composites. Two small molecule crosslinkers, a trifunctional aromatic (TL) and a difunctional aliphatic (DL) acyl chloride, are first utilized to create a crosslinked interphase with a softer and stiffer modulus respectively. TL crosslinked interphase with a higher modulus improved the tensile strength by 50%, despite non-covalent linking between fiber and matrix, elucidating the critical role of the interphase in alleviating modulus mismatch between the high modulus carbon fiber and the rubbery matrix. Fractional quantities of carbon nanotubes are additionally dispersed in the small molecule crosslinkers which behaved as a dispersant, helping introduce nanoasperities on the carbon fiber surface. Strong “pi-pi” interactions between CNTs and CF contributed to tensile properties, which are increased by 66% compared to the control. A cohesive zone model suggests that a stiffer interphase is better able to exploit surface heterogeneities and roughness on the fiber, synergistically enhancing interfacial strength.

KW - adhesion

KW - fiber reinforced composite

KW - interfacial failure

KW - interphase

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105008756641

U2 - 10.1002/admi.202500135

DO - 10.1002/admi.202500135

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105008756641

SN - 2196-7350

VL - 12

JO - Advanced Materials Interfaces

JF - Advanced Materials Interfaces

IS - 13

M1 - 2500135

ER -

Interfacial Strength in Hierarchical Carbon Fiber Composites: Interplay of Interphase Modulus and Roughness

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this