Interfacial modification and tribological properties of ZnO nanosheet carbon fiber reinforced poly(hexahydrotriazine) composites

The weak bonding strength between the non-polar carbon fiber (CF) surface and the polymer presents a challenge for the extended friction application of CF reinforced polymer composites. Here, we present a simple electroplating and oxidation method to introduce two-dimensional ZnO nanosheets (ZnO NSs) between CF and poly(hexahydrotriazine)s (PHTs). ZnO NSs form strong C-O-Zn chemical bond with CFC and create micro-nano convex surface, which enhance the shear strength of the interface and exert a toughening effect in CFRPs. The resultant PHT/ZnO@CFC showed excellent tribological properties, the coefficient of dry friction reduced by 57%, which showed that grafting ZnO NSs significantly improved tribological applications of recyclable CFRPs, demonstrating the potential incorporation of PHTs in the field of wear resistance.

Automated summary

A simple electroplating and oxidation method was introduced to enhance the bonding strength between carbon fiber and polymer by introducing ZnO nanosheets, resulting in improved friction performance and wear resistance of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites.