Low Temperature Atmospheric Pressure Plasma-Polymerized Organosilicon Oxynitride Films Enhance Scratch Resistance of Flexible Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites

摘要

Enhanced scratch resistance of flexible carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FCFRPCs) by low temperature atmospheric pressure plasma-polymerized organo-silicon oxynitride (SiO_xC_yN_z) films with an atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) has been investigated. SiO_xC_yN_z thin films deposited onto FCFRPCs by mixing precursor tetramethyldisiloxan (TMDSO) vapors with air gases, injecting into air plasma jet and spraying onto FCFRPCs using an APPJ at room temperature (~23 °C) and atmospheric pressure can prominently improve the scratch resistance of FCFRPCs. Scratch resistance of FCFRPCs is significantly enhanced from an overwhelming presence of scratching (100%) on as-received FCFRPC to a complete lack of scratching (0%) on the SiO_xC_yN_z film deposited FCFRPC using a scratch test with a steel wool of up to 54 cycles at 100 g loading. The augmented scratch resistance of FCFRPCs by atmospheric pressure plasma-polymerized SiO_xC_yN_z films is strongly dependent on their surface characteristics such as surface hardness, surface morphology, surface compositions and chemical bonds.