Sized or unsized carbon fibres : what are the differences in terms of surface properties ?
Executive summary
Surface properties of carbon fibers are crucial for high performing composites. Dynamic adsorption of multiple gaseous probe molecules (Inverse Gas Chromatography) can characterize these properties most sensitively.
In practice, the provided datas guide product developers, production chemists and quality controllers towards optimization of products and processes. Indeed, IGC is a unique method to understand and quantify surface treatments and resulting interface effects between fibers and matrix.
This short application note focuses on carbon fibers, completely sized, unsized and partly sized ones and on the less-known concept of determining surface morphology and mobility.
