Improvement of adhesion of kevlar fabrics to epoxy by surface modification with acetic anhydride in supercritical carbon dioxide

The effect of supercritical carbon dioxide (ScCO₂) treatment with acetic anhydride (AA) for Kevlar fabric on the interfacial adhesion and mechanical properties of Kevlar fabric/epoxy composites was investigated. ScCO₂ treatment with AA remarkably affects the interfacial adhesion, thus improving mechanical properties. The effects of treating time on the surface modification and mechanical properties of composites were studied. Results demonstrated that the optimal condition is 100°C at 10 MPa for 60 min, as shown by the tensile strength and shear strength of the ScCO₂‐treated composites being 21.3 and 47.9% higher than those of the untreated ones, respectively. The mechanical properties demonstrated that ScCO₂ treatment provides an efficient and environmentally safe method for surface modification to improve interfacial interaction between the treated fiber and matrix with ScCO₂ treatment. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:E920–E927, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers