Carbon fiber sizing agents based on renewable terpenes

The optimization of fiber-matrix adhesion is a persistent challenge in any fiber-based composite materials. Usually, commercial sizing agents are applied to carbon fiber surfaces, but these unknown complex mixtures proprietary nature. Here, naturally derived terpenes, borneol and terpeniol, were chemically modified used as for fibers. To tailor the surface interactions, fibers possessing enriched exposed amines, thiols, carboxylic acids fabricated sized. These novel alone improve IFSS pristine (up +92%) an epoxy resin. Surface modification also shows increase prior addition +142%). More critically, further enhanced when coupling techniques with application +221% compared unsized fiber). This work offers unique set materials untapped chemical pool potential composites interface tailoring.