Effects of Surface Synergy for the Dispersion of Short Carbon Fibers Sized by Adipic Acid Modified Epoxy Resin Potassium

The carbon fiber (CF) surface plays a critical role in the performance of CF composite materials. Adipic acid modified epoxy resin potassium (AAEK) prepared with epoxy resin and adipic acid, and KOH was employed as the CF sizing agent. Then, series of surface properties of AAEK‐treated carbon fiber (CF‐AAEK) including surface charge, morphology, and groups were characterized by using Faraday cup, friction coefficient gauge, atomic force microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermogravimetry. The results indicated that the dispersion coefficient of CF‐AAEK was increased by 1.72 times and there were synergistic effects for the dispersion of short CFs during the sizing treatment process with AAEK. In addition, the flexural strength of treated short CF composite proved to increase by 168%, which evaluated that the better CF dispersion in the matrix was a critical factor for the mechanical property improvement of short CF‐AAEK/epoxy resin composites.