Effect of Corona Discharge Treatment on Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Unsaturated Polyester/Carbon Fiber Pultruded Composites

In this study, surface modification of carbon fiber by corona discharge treatment is investigated. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to capture corresponding changes in fiber matrix adhesion in composite interface. Moreover, using treated and untreated fibers, unidirectional pultruded composite rods were manufactured and their mechanical properties were determined by three-point bending and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. The results indicated that carbon fiber/matrix interaction increases in all treated fiber samples lead to greater Tg temperature. It is also found that fiber treatment enhanced the magnitude of storage modulus. Besides, flexural strength of composites made of the treated carbon fiber significantly increased.