Reviews on Interfacial Properties of the Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites

The bonding state between the carbon fiber and the polymer directly affects the properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites (CFRP), which is influenced by the surface structural characteristics of carbon fiber (CF). The surface of CF is composed of tightly packed graphite crystallites lacking active carbon atoms, which results in low surface energy of CF and weak interfacial performance of CFRP. The interfacial properties can be evaluated indirectly through macro-mechanical properties, and can also be characterized by micromechanical testing methods. In order to improve the interfacial combination between the carbon fiber and the polymer, it is usually to modify the interface of CFRP, which mainly includes carbon fiber surface functionalization, carbon fiber surface coating and introduction of micro-nano enhancement phase. In this paper, researches on the interfacial properties of CFRP were reviewed, and the existing problems and the future research focus were also discussed.