In this study, acid oxidation and electrochemical oxidation treatments were applied to carbon fibers to enhance the interfacial adhesion strength between CF and thermoplastic plastic. The effects of each surface treatment condition on surface morpholo...
In this study, acid oxidation and electrochemical oxidation treatments were applied to carbon fibers to enhance the interfacial adhesion strength between CF and thermoplastic plastic. The effects of each surface treatment condition on surface morphology, structural evolution, mechanical properties, and interfacial shear strength (IFSS) were comprehensively investigated. Acid oxidation was performed using a mixed acid solution of H2SO4 and HNO3 (3:1 v/v) at 60℃ for 15-60 min, while electrochemical oxidation was carried out using ammonium bicarbonate (NH4HCO3, 0.1 M) as the electrolyte under a current density of 3 A/m2 for 5-25 min. FE-SEM and AFM analyses revealed that both treatments increased the surface roughness with prolonged treatment time. Raman spectroscopy indicated that the ID/IG ratio decreased and IA/IG ratio increased, suggesting an improvement in graphitic order and the effective incorporation of oxygen-containing functional groups. XPS analysis confirmed a decrease in C–C bonds and an increase in C–O and C=O bonds, indicating the successful introduction of oxygen-based polar groups onto the CF surface. As a result, the surface energy and chemical reactivity of the CFs were significantly enhanced. The 30 min acid-treated and 15 min electrochemically treated samples exhibited the optimal balance between surface roughness, structural stability, and oxygen functional group formation. Both tensile strength and IFSS reached their maximum values under these conditions, due to the synergistic contribution of mechanical interlocking, hydrogen bonding, and dipole–dipole interactions. However, excessive oxidation led to the degradation of the sp2 carbon network and surface smoothing, reducing mechanical and interfacial performance. Therefore, it is concluded that the 30 min acid oxidation and 15 min electrochemical oxidation conditions represent the optimal parameters for achieving effective surface activation and interfacial adhesion enhancement between carbon fibers and thermoplastic plastic.