Carbon fiber/polyetherketoneketone composites. Part I: An ideal and uniform composition via solution‐based processing

Abstract

As limited by the low dissolubility, powder-and dispersion-based composition methods are used to prepare carbon fiber (CF)/polyaryletherketone (PAEK) prepregs. Owing to the high content of ketone groups, polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) is found to have a high dissolubility in fluorine-and/or chlorinecontaining solvents. It is revealed that PEKK can form colloidal solutions with a particle size down to tens of nm, paving the way for a true solution-based impregnation toward advanced CF/PEKK composites. After a fabrication route of impregnation, preheating, and compression molding, PEKK was found to uniformly and tightly cover all the CFs within a thickness of 1-3 μm in the final composites. Such limited spacing and the fiber surface strongly suppress the crystallization of PEKK. As a result, the composites exhibited a tensile strength of 1.85 GPa, 94.9% that of the ideal one according to the rule of mixture.

Role of the inter‐ply microstructure in the consolidation quality of high‐performance thermoplastic composites

“…Processing these materials consist, both in the case of thermosets and thermoplastics, in stacking prepreg, 8 single plies (called tapes) with typical thicknesses of 200 μm, 3 generally using Automated Tape Placement (ATP). The assembly is then being consolidated in an autoclave or under a press, with applied pressures of 7–10 bar 9,10 .…”