Carbon/graphite fiber reinforced poly(methyl methacrylate): Properties under dry and wet conditions

✍ Scribed by Ekstrand, Karl ;Ruyter, I. Eystein ;Wellendorf, Hanne

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1987
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 948 KB
• Volume: 21
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-9304
• DOI: 10.1002/jbm.820210902

✦ Synopsis

The flexural properties of poly(methy1 methacrylate) (PMMA) reinforced with carbodgraphite (CIG) fibers with three different surface treatments were investigated by transverse bend testing after dry and wet storage. The fibers used were (1) commercially available fibers, (2) cleaned fibers, and (3) cleaned and sized fibers. The coating agents of commercial unidirectional and braided CIG fibers as well as impurities on CIG fibers for medical uses were characterized by means of highperformance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The agar overlay technique was used to assess the cytotoxicity of leachable elements from different fibers and processed composites. Composites with both unidirectional and braided tubular CIG fibers were investigated after storage in water. Fracture stress and flexural modulus decreased when "commercial" fibers were used as reinforcing material. Composites with cleaned and sized fibers gave only minor differences in flexural properties after dry and wet storage. By means of SEM micrographs the adhesion behavior of unsized CIG fibers, epoxy sized fibers, cleaned fibers, and cleaned and sized fibers were assessed. After water storage a substantial part of the cleaned fibers adhered to the matrix material. The adhesion capacity of the other fibers was reduced since the water absorption caused separation of fiber and matrix.