Hansen Solubility Parameters for a Carbon Fiber/epoxy Composite

The focus of this work is the evaluation of the physical compatibility between an epoxy resin used as a matrix and an oxidized, unsized carbon fiber, and between this same epoxy resin and glassy carbon. For this purpose, carbon fibers, glassy carbon and epoxy resin have been assigned Hansen solubility (cohesion) parameters (HSP) by analysis of their interactions with a set of well-defined liquids. A strong physical affinity between the epoxy matrix and the carbon fibers has been shown, since their respective HSP are close. The use of a glassy carbon substrate as a model for unsized carbon fiber has been demonstrated as appropriate for the study of interactions between the materials in composite carbon fiber-epoxy systems, since the HSP of glassy carbon are similar to the ones of the studied carbon fibers.