ORCID Number

0009-0002-7587-2383

Date of Award

Summer 2025

Access Type

Thesis - Open Access

Degree Name

Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering

Department

Aerospace Engineering

Committee Chair

Sirish Namilae

Committee Chair Email

namilaes@erau.edu

Committee Co-Chair

Foram Madiyar

Committee Co-Chair Email

foramrm@gmail.com

First Committee Member

Yi Zhao

First Committee Member Email

zhao1c4@erau.edu

Second Committee Member

Yizhou Jiang

Second Committee Member Email

jiangy5@erau.edu

College Dean

James W. Gregory

Abstract

Interface modification of carbon fibers has been shown to improve the mechanical performance of composites. In addition, interface modification of carbon fiber composites can impart multifunctionality into the resulting composite. This work will explore ZnO and MnO2 as interface modifications for use on carbon fibers. When exposed to high temperatures, carbon fibers undergo fiber degradation, leading to the need for low-temperature hydrothermal processes. This work will develop and characterize a nanoscale ZnO and MnO2 interface modification for use on carbon fibers. These nanomodifications will be developed with low-temperature processes, minimizing the fiber degradation that the fibers undergo. Fourier transform infrared spectrography and Scanning Electron Microscopy will be used to characterize the resulting interface modification.

Adhesion between nanoscale modification and carbon fiber is crucial to the interfacial strength of the resulting hybrid composite interfaces. This adhesion strength can be studied using nanoscratch to find the force needed to cause delamination of the nano-modification. This work will report on the nanoscratch tests on both ZnO and MnO2 nano modifications. Results show a required force of 947 μN to fully delaminate the MnO2 nano modification and a force of 2907 μN to fully delaminate the ZnO nano modification.

Nanoscratch results are compared and correlated to nanoscale fiber push in testing. It was found that higher delamination force correlates with interfacial strength obtained from nanoindentation. This work will discuss and correlate the interfacial interaction mechanisms of nanoscale fiber delamination. Future work regarding improvements to fiber interfacial modifications is presented.

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