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Materials and Interfaces
Preparation of Sub-Micron High-Performance Polyetherimide Particles for Fabricating Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites Rui Zhang, Jacob J. Fallon, Ronald M. Joseph, Jessica A. Thomas, Maryam S. Hassan, Shreya Roy Choudhury, Eric L. Gilmer, Munetaka Kubota, Joseph M. Deitzel, Judy S. Riffle, and Michael Jeremiah Bortner Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., Just Accepted Manuscript • DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.8b02930 • Publication Date (Web): 25 Oct 2018 Downloaded from http://pubs.acs.org on October 30, 2018
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Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research
Preparation of Sub-Micron High-Performance Polyetherimide Particles for Fabricating Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites Rui Zhang,§1 Jacob J. Fallon,§2,3 Ronald M. Joseph,1,3 Jessica A. Thomas,1,3 Maryam S. Hassan,1 Shreya Roy Choudhury,1,3 Eric L. Gilmer,2,3 Munetaka Kubota,4 Joseph M. Deitzel,4 Judy S. Riffle,1,3 Michael J. Bortner,*2,3 1Department
of Chemistry, 2Department of Chemical Engineering, and 3Macromolecules Innovation Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
4Center
§
for Composite Materials, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 USA
denotes co-first author
*Corresponding author, Email:
[email protected] KEYWORDS: polyetherimide, sulfonated polyimide, poly(amic acid), sub-micron particles, nucleation and growth, homogenization. Abstract Suspension prepregging of high performance thermoplastic polymer – carbon fiber composites has great potential if the process can be performed with aqueous based suspensions and high thermal stability materials. In this study, sub-micron size particles were prepared by a nucleation and growth process, and a homogenization - solvent evaporation approach. Two thermally stable suspending agents were synthesized and utilized for particle fabrication. Polyacrylonitrile and pitch based carbon fibers were treated with heated ozone to form hydroxyl, carbonyl and carboxylic acid groups on their surfaces, then reacted with a cyclic azasilane to 1 ACS Paragon Plus Environment
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produce surface-tethered amino groups. PEI particles coated with ionic, high performance, suspending agents were attracted electrostatically to the silanized carbon fibers. Scanning electron microscopy showed the functionalized carbon fibers were substantially covered with the particles. Thermally stable, coated, PEI particles can be fabricated and dispersed in an aqueous media, and particles can be incorporated in carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites. 1. Introduction Carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites have been extensively used in a multitude of applications due to their high strength-to-weight ratio, excellent mechanical properties, and thermal stability.1, 2 Their properties make them excellent material candidates for a wide array of applications in the automotive, aerospace and marine industries.3-6 The manufacturing processes and materials that are used to produce the composites vary significantly, thus allowing for properties to be tailored for specific applications and environments.7 Carbon fiber reinforced polymer matrix composites are usually comprised of either chopped (short) or continuous fibers held together by the polymer matrix. The matrix consists of a thermosetting or thermoplastic polymer, with each material type providing its own unique advantages.5 Epoxy resins, which are examples of thermosetting polymers, are one of the most widely used classes of matrices.2 There is continued interest in using high-performance thermoplastic polymers as alternatives to thermosets as the matrix phase for various composite applications.8 Fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites have the potential for rapid processing, improved fracture toughness, and reduction in labor requirements.9 Common high-performance polymers used in these applications include polyetherimide (PEI) and polyetheretherketone (PEEK).8 These thermoplastic materials allow for relatively high continuous operating 2 ACS Paragon Plus Environment
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Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research
temperatures while maintaining mechanical properties, thus making them potential alternatives to thermosetting matrices.10, 11 Several production methods are utilized for manufacturing carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic materials, which include processing the polymers in hot melt, solution, suspension, and dry powder forms.12-16 Powder coating with thermoplastic materials is of great interest, especially if one could utilize sub-micron particles that may allow for high carbon fiber volume fractions (>60%) while maintaining a uniform dispersion of the matrix and reinforcement phase within the composite.12 Hot melt and solution prepregs are also widely used to make fiber-polymer composites.16-19 Both thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers may be used in such methods with N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) as an example of solvents for solution impregnation of carbon fiber fabrics.18 Another approach to the manufacture of prepreg materials impregnates the carbon fabric with polymer material via a particle suspension. Often this process utilizes a suspension polymer particles in an aqueous bath containing suspension stabilizers such as poly(amic acid) ammonium salts polymer particles in aqueous suspensions that contain suspension stabilizers such as poly(amic acid) ammonium salts.15 By using environmentally-friendly water instead of expensive, high-boiling solvents such as NMP, suspension prepregs would have significant cost advantages. Critical to the success of aqueous bath prepreg processing is the availability of polymer particles with small diameter (
