INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON

PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS &

APPLICATION
2-3 July 2009
 The major effect of plasma treatment adhesion
enhancement of fiber-resin matrix

 Surface cleaning: remove organic contamination from

fiber surface, which can interfere with bonding between
fiber & resin
 Etching/ablation: This can reduce weak boundary layers
and increase the surface area, but the diameter of fibers is
not reduced and its tensile strength is not deteriorated.
 Cross –linking on surface: plasma can induce higher
cohesive strength by formation of a thin cross-linking
layer, which can mechanically stabilize the surface
against the diffusion of low molecular weight species to
the interface
 Functionalization on surface: the formation of chemical
functional groups can lead to acid- base interaction and
covalent linkages with resin, resulting in enhancement of
adhesion between fiber and resin.
 Glass woven fabrics were used as substrate for plasma treatment in this
study.
(a) commercial plain E-glass woven fabrics, about 600 gr m--2 and thickness
about 0.24 mm
(b) commercial plain E-glass woven fabrics,about 300 gr m-2 and thickness
about 0.12 mm
(c) commercial twill E-glass woven fabrics, about 300 gr m-2 and thickness
about 0.12 mm
 Epoxy resin
1- Cylindrical steel chamber, 50
cm diameter and 100 cm
long
2- Vacuum line, one rotary
pomp and one by pass pomp
for chamber .
3- Two electrodes are assembled
in the chamber and
connected to a D.C generator
which provides a high
voltage by 4000v and current
1-2 A
4- Two micro valves are used
for feeding the gases to
chamber
5- Vacuum gage indicates the
chamber pressure.
 Morphological study
 The morphology of the LTP-treated and untreated glass woven fabrics
was observed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). All of the
samples were coated with gold layer before conducting the SEM
examination. Micrographs were obtained using Hitachi S-530 at ¥ 2319
magnification.

Mechanical properties
 Composite laminates were prepared by hand lay-up method
 The interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of glass fabric/epoxy composites for various
glass fabric surface condition was determined using the three-point-bending test
method, analogy with ASTM D2344. Short beams were tested at a speed of 1.3 mm
min-1 and at 25° using Zwick/Roll Universal Testing Machine.
The interlaminar shear strength (SH) was calculated using the equation :

SH= 3P/(4bd)

Where P is the breaking load , b is the beam width, and d is the beam depth.
 0.025000  The ultimate interlaminar shear
strength of composite, reinforced
with glow discharge treated glass
0.020000 fabrics under different plasma
condition were significantly
improved by 30% as compared to
Mean SH(KN/mm2)

0.015000
untreated glass fabrics

0.010000

0.005000

0.000000
TREATED UNTRETED
Treatment (Plasma treated, Plasma untreated)
  The interlaminar shear strength
O2 value of the glass fabric
composite treated by O2 gas
time
0.025000
10
15
under 1000v and 15 min
condition was higher compared
0.020000
to all other groups tested in this
study
Mean SH(KN/mm2)

0.015000  The result show that increasing

in exposure time and voltage
resulted in increased
interlaminar shear strength, but
0.010000

this was not statistically

0.005000 significant (P<0.05).

0.000000
400 600 1000
Voltage(v)
 ArO2
 The same as modified glass
0.025000 fabrics under O2 gas,
increasing in exposure time
0.020000
resulted in improved ILSS,
but this was not statistically
Mean SH(KN/mm2)

0.015000
significant (P<0.05).

0.010000

0.005000

0.000000
10 15
time(min)
V=1000v
  with increasing in exposure
0.025000
Ar
time time, Ar plasma did not
show same behavior in
10
15

different voltage (fig6). It

means that under 1000v,
0.020000

increasing in exposure time

Mean SH(KN/mm2)

resulted in decreased ILSS,

0.015000

but at 600v, increasing in

0.010000
exposure time resulted in
improved ILSS.
0.005000

0.000000
600 1000
Voltage(v)
Compariton between different condition

1000V
600 V

The interlaminar shear strength value of the glass fabric composite treated by O2
gas under 1000v and 15 min condition was higher compared to all other groups
tested in this study, however this was not statistically significant.
 The data showed that weave
pattern had a significant effect
on ILSS, and by extending the
length of the float in twill weave
which reduces the interlocking
frequency, the resulting
composite’s ILSS was improved.
A B

C D
 mechanical tests showed that interlaminar shear strength of glass
fabric composite could be improved by DC plasma treatment of
glass fabric.
 The study also showed that different plasma conditions did not
have a significant effect on ILSS in a DC plasma process, however
the glass woven fabrics treated with different plasma gases
exhibited different morphological changes
 weave pattern had a significant effect on ILSS, and by extending
the length of the float in twill weave wich reduces the interlocking
frequency, the resulting composite’s ILSS was improved .
 In This project, the use of SEM has clarified the effects
of DC plasma treatment on the glass fabrics concerning
the morphology changes of the surface. To have a
better insight on the involved processes, it is necessary
to implement the chemical analysis such as FTIR on the
same samples. These experiments are foreseen in the
near future.

Thank you for your attention