Effect of surface treatments on the interfacial bond strength in glass fibre-polyester resin systems

Abstract

The effect of fibre surface treatments on the bond strength of 30 µm E-glass fibres, embedded in a polyester resin, have been studied by mechanical rupture of the interfacial bond using a shear debonding specimen. The surface treatments included water lubrication, silanes of different reactivity towards the resin, boundary lubricant, film forming polymer, silicone resin and blends of these components. The results of these studies suggest that the measured bond strengths are closely related to appropriate wetting of the fibre by the resin. An attempt has been made to interpret the bond strength in terms of the physical and chemical forces operating in the interface region.