Interfacial microstructure and properties of poly (phenylene benzobisoxazole) fiber grafted with graphene oxide via solvothermal method

An effective approach for grafting graphene oxide (GO) onto poly (phenylene benzobisoxazole) (PBO) fiber surface through ethanediamine as linkage using solvothermal method was proposed. Grafting GO onto the PBO fiber surface was an attempt to improve the interfacial properties between PBO fibers and epoxy matrix. Experimental results reveal that GO was grafted uniformly on the PBO fiber surface through chemical bonds. The polar functional groups and surface energy of PBO fiber were obviously increased after the grafting process. Results of the mechanical property tests show the interfacial shear strength increased obviously and single fiber tensile strength have not any discernable decrease after the grafting process. GO effectively enhanced the interfacial adhesion of PBO fiber-reinforced composite by increasing chemical bonding, improving wettability and mechanical interlocking. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.