Enhancing Interfacial Adhesion in Kevlar and Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Fiber-Reinforced Laminates: A Comparative Study of Surface Roughening, Plasma Treatment, and Chemical Functionalization Using Graphene Nanoparticles
This study investigates the impact of mechanical and chemical surface treatments on the interfacial adhesion and mechanical properties of Kevlar and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber-reinforced laminates (FRLs). Various treatments, including surface roughening, plasma exposure,...
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MDPI AG
2025-02-01
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| author | Feyi Adekunle Jan Genzer Abdel-Fattah M. Seyam |
| author_facet | Feyi Adekunle Jan Genzer Abdel-Fattah M. Seyam |
| author_sort | Feyi Adekunle |
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| description | This study investigates the impact of mechanical and chemical surface treatments on the interfacial adhesion and mechanical properties of Kevlar and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber-reinforced laminates (FRLs). Various treatments, including surface roughening, plasma exposure, NaOH and silane coupling, and graphene nanoparticle (NP) incorporation, were conducted to enhance the fiber–matrix bonding within thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) matrices. Results demonstrated that treatment efficacy highly depends on fiber type and matrix material, with chemical modifications generally outperforming the physical treatment (surface roughness). Plasma treatment significantly enhanced adhesion for UHMWPE, increasing yarn pullout force by 188.1% with TPU. While combining plasma with graphene slightly improved performance, it did not exceed plasma-only results due to potential surface functionalization losses during wet graphene application. For Kevlar, the combination of NaOH, silane, and graphene NP (NSG) treatment yielded the highest adhesion, showing increases of 76.6% with TPU and 95.4% with EVA, underscoring the synergy between chemical coupling and nanomaterial reinforcement. This study’s insights align with previous research, expanding the knowledge base by investigating graphene’s role independently and alongside established methods. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e602ead9707b4b81be741cdfd0ff93c3 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2079-6439 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Fibers |
| spelling | doaj-art-e602ead9707b4b81be741cdfd0ff93c32025-08-20T02:44:38ZengMDPI AGFibers2079-64392025-02-011321910.3390/fib13020019Enhancing Interfacial Adhesion in Kevlar and Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Fiber-Reinforced Laminates: A Comparative Study of Surface Roughening, Plasma Treatment, and Chemical Functionalization Using Graphene NanoparticlesFeyi Adekunle0Jan Genzer1Abdel-Fattah M. Seyam2Department of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management, Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USADepartment of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USADepartment of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management, Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USAThis study investigates the impact of mechanical and chemical surface treatments on the interfacial adhesion and mechanical properties of Kevlar and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber-reinforced laminates (FRLs). Various treatments, including surface roughening, plasma exposure, NaOH and silane coupling, and graphene nanoparticle (NP) incorporation, were conducted to enhance the fiber–matrix bonding within thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) matrices. Results demonstrated that treatment efficacy highly depends on fiber type and matrix material, with chemical modifications generally outperforming the physical treatment (surface roughness). Plasma treatment significantly enhanced adhesion for UHMWPE, increasing yarn pullout force by 188.1% with TPU. While combining plasma with graphene slightly improved performance, it did not exceed plasma-only results due to potential surface functionalization losses during wet graphene application. For Kevlar, the combination of NaOH, silane, and graphene NP (NSG) treatment yielded the highest adhesion, showing increases of 76.6% with TPU and 95.4% with EVA, underscoring the synergy between chemical coupling and nanomaterial reinforcement. This study’s insights align with previous research, expanding the knowledge base by investigating graphene’s role independently and alongside established methods.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6439/13/2/19fiber-reinforced laminate (FRLs)Kevlarultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)interfacial adhesionsurface rougheningplasma treatment |
| spellingShingle | Feyi Adekunle Jan Genzer Abdel-Fattah M. Seyam Enhancing Interfacial Adhesion in Kevlar and Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Fiber-Reinforced Laminates: A Comparative Study of Surface Roughening, Plasma Treatment, and Chemical Functionalization Using Graphene Nanoparticles Fibers fiber-reinforced laminate (FRLs) Kevlar ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) interfacial adhesion surface roughening plasma treatment |
| title | Enhancing Interfacial Adhesion in Kevlar and Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Fiber-Reinforced Laminates: A Comparative Study of Surface Roughening, Plasma Treatment, and Chemical Functionalization Using Graphene Nanoparticles |
| title_full | Enhancing Interfacial Adhesion in Kevlar and Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Fiber-Reinforced Laminates: A Comparative Study of Surface Roughening, Plasma Treatment, and Chemical Functionalization Using Graphene Nanoparticles |
| title_fullStr | Enhancing Interfacial Adhesion in Kevlar and Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Fiber-Reinforced Laminates: A Comparative Study of Surface Roughening, Plasma Treatment, and Chemical Functionalization Using Graphene Nanoparticles |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancing Interfacial Adhesion in Kevlar and Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Fiber-Reinforced Laminates: A Comparative Study of Surface Roughening, Plasma Treatment, and Chemical Functionalization Using Graphene Nanoparticles |
| title_short | Enhancing Interfacial Adhesion in Kevlar and Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Fiber-Reinforced Laminates: A Comparative Study of Surface Roughening, Plasma Treatment, and Chemical Functionalization Using Graphene Nanoparticles |
| title_sort | enhancing interfacial adhesion in kevlar and ultra high molecular weight polyethylene fiber reinforced laminates a comparative study of surface roughening plasma treatment and chemical functionalization using graphene nanoparticles |
| topic | fiber-reinforced laminate (FRLs) Kevlar ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) interfacial adhesion surface roughening plasma treatment |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6439/13/2/19 |
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