Properties of silsesquioxane coating modified carbon fibre/polyarylacetylene composites

Carbon fibre (CF) surfaces were modified with different silsesquioxanes (SSOs), including MES-SSO, VMS-SSO, MPMS-SSO, MethacrylIsobutyl-POSS and TriSilanolPhenyl-POSS, before and after being activated by air plasma. The effects of SSO coatings on the interfacial, impact, and heat-resistant properties of carbon fibre reinforced polyarylacetylene (CF/PAA) composites were investigated by short-beam bend method, impact test, and thermal oxygen aging experiments, respectively. The results showed that SSO coatings could improve the interfacial, impact, and heat-resistant properties of the CF/PAA composites at the same time due to the structure of the SSO coatings. All increased percentages of each property of the CF/PAA composites modified with POSS coatings were larger than those of composites modified with SSO coatings. The results may shed some light on the design of the appropriate fibre surface structure during the manufacture of the carbon fibre reinforced resin matrix composites.