Carbon fiber modified composites of tetrafluoroethylene‐ethylene copolymers

Abstract Composites based on tetrafluoroethylene‐ethylene copolymers with graphitized polyacrylonitrile fibers were developed. The effect of the fiber length and concentration on the properties of the compositions was studied. Thermoactivation of the fibers was carried out and its influence on the properties of the tetrafluorethylene‐ethylene compositions was studied. Graphitized fibers possessing the higest content of oxygen‐containing functional groups thermoacttivated at 1073 K for 30 min exerted the highest reinforcing effec (∼40%). The relation between fibers finished with γ‐aminopropltriethoxysilance and theproperties of the compositions obtained was also studied. A synergetic effect on the compositions mechanical and thermal properties was observed for the modified carbon fibers, whereas the other properties remained almost the same. The additional reinforcement of the carbon compositions modified with fiber monocrystals ofalkali titanates in concentrattions from 0.5 to 5.0 Wt% strengthens the tetrafluoroethylene‐ethylene polymer matrix by increasing the dynamic modulus, hardness, and thermoresistance of the composities.