Processing and mechanical characterization of ZnO/polyester woven carbon–fiber composites with different ZnO concentrations

Abstract In this research, processing characterization and mechanical properties of ZnO/polyester woven carbon–fiber composites were investigated. One of our more interesting findings was how the impact energy absorption of woven carbon fibers was affected by the concentrations of ZnO, grown using a hydrothermal process. The impact behavior of ZnO/polyester woven carbon–fiber composites differed according to ZnO concentration during growth. The morphology of damaged surfaces following impact studies was investigated via scanning electron microscopy. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to calculate the differences in the adhesion energy of the ZnO crystalline structure at the atomistic-level. Additional ZnO increased the mechanical strength of the ZnO/polyester woven carbon–fiber composites, due to the much higher adhesion energy of the side areas of the ZnO crystalline structure. Also, the tensile modulus in composites processed by vacuum-assisted resin-transfer molding exhibited significant enhancement at higher ZnO concentrations.