Apparatus and method for carbon fiber surface treatment

摘要

An apparatus and method for enhancing the surface energy and/or surface chemistry of carbon fibers involves exposing the fibers to direct or indirect contact with atmospheric pressure plasma generated using a background gas containing at least some oxygen or other reactive species. The fiber may be exposed directly to the plasma, provided that the plasma is nonfilamentary, or the fiber may be exposed indirectly through contact with gases exhausting from a plasma discharge maintained in a separate volume. In either case, the process is carried out at or near atmospheric pressure, thereby eliminating the need for vacuum equipment. The process may be further modified by moistening the fibers with selected oxygen-containing liquids before exposure to the plasma.

主权项

1. A method for treating carbon fiber comprising:
biasing a tow of carbon fiber to provide a first electrode; wetting an exposed surface of at least one carbon fiber of said tow of carbon fiber with an oxygen-containing species in its liquid state prior to subjecting said at least one carbon fiber to a non-filamentary plasma discharge; and forming said non-filamentary plasma discharge between the first electrode and a second electrode; and exposing the oxygen-containing liquid that is present on the exposed surface of said at least carbon fiber to said non-filamentary plasma discharge, wherein the oxygen-containing liquid dissociates to provide at least one oxidative species that modifies the surface energy of said at least one carbon fiber to have a greater chemical affinity to polymeric based matrixes.