Thermal, mechanical, and dielectric properties of aluminum silicate fiber reinforced aluminum phosphate–poly(ether sulfone) layered composites

In this study, a novel aluminum phosphate (AlPO 4 ) heat-resistant layer reinforced with aluminum silicate fiber (ASF) was successfully compounded on a poly(ether sulfone) (PES) matrix via the preparation process of high-temperature heat treatment and vacuum hot-pressing sintering technique. The influence of the ASF content on the morphology, thermal, mechanical, and dielectric properties of the as-fabricated aluminum silicate fiber reinforced aluminum phosphate–poly(ether sulfone) (ASF/AlPO 4 –PES) layered composite was investigated. The results reveal that the incorporation of aluminum silicate fiber/aluminum phosphate (ASF/AlPO 4 ) heat-resistant layer can significantly improve the thermal stability and mechanical performances of the PES matrix composites. Compared with the pristine PES, the ASF/AlPO 4 –PES layered composite containing 8.0 wt % ASF exhibited better high-temperature resistance properties (300 °C) and a lower thermal conductivity (0.16 W m −1 K −1 ). Furthermore, the dielectric constant and dielectric loss tangent of this PES matrix composite decreased to 2.16 and 0.007, respectively. Meanwhile, the frequency stability of the dielectric properties for the ASF/AlPO 4 –PES layered composites was remarkably enhanced with increasing ASF addition at frequencies ranging from 10 2 Hz to 5 MHz. This was attributed to the existence of microscopic pores within the ASF/AlPO 4 layer and the strong interfacial bonding between the ASF/AlPO 4 layer and the PES matrix. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134 , 45542.