Mechanism of CFF/PPS interface strength enhancement via infrared heating desizing‐assisted plasma treatment

Abstract This study introduced a novel infrared heating‐assisted plasma surface treatment method to enhance the performance of carbon fiber fabric‐reinforced polyphenylene sulfide (CFF/PPS) composite interfaces. This method leveraged infrared radiation, which was directly absorbed by the sizing agent and fiber, thereby minimizing heat loss and increasing the mechanical locking points. The effects of infrared temperature, duration, plasma processing power, and scanning speed on the interface performance were systematically investigated to develop effective optimization strategies. Monofilament strength tests demonstrated that infrared heating significantly improved the removal of the sizing agent. Additionally, auxiliary plasma treatment enhanced the surface properties of the carbon fibers after infrared heating. The interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of the optimized CFF/PPS reached 84.82 MPa, a 30.5% improvement over infrared desizing alone. Following the optimized process, the bending strength, modulus, and interlaminar shear strength of the CFF/PPS laminates were increased by 81.9%, 42.9%, and 77.6%, respectively, compared with those of the untreated samples. These findings indicated that infrared heating‐assisted plasma treatment effectively removed the epoxy sizing agent and significantly improved the interface properties, offering a practical and efficient solution for industrial CFF/PPS interface performance enhancement. Highlights Infrared–plasma treatment boosts CFF/PPS interfacial strength by 30.5%. Optimized process enhances bending strength (81.9%) and modulus (42.9%). Infrared–plasma treatment can improve fiber desizing efficiency significantly.