A high-temperature resistant and chemically compatible water-soluble sizing agent for improving the interfacial properties of short carbon fiber reinforced polyphthalazine ether ketone composites

In this paper, a soluble polyphthalazine biphenyl ether nitrile containing carboxyl and sulfonic acid groups (SPPBEN-COOH) was synthesized, and a water-soluble sizing agent was prepared to enhance the interface performance and wear resistance of SCF/PPEK composites. SPPBEN-COOH has excellent thermal properties (T g  = 244 °C) and good solubility. Compared with UCF/PPEK composites, the wear resistance of the modified composites increased by 52.8 %. In addition, molecular dynamics simulation was utilized to calculate the chemical compatibility between the sizing agent and the resin. Meanwhile, the impact of the sizing agent on the interfacial bonding strength of the composite was investigated. This study not only offers an environmentally friendly approach for enhancing the interfacial and tribological properties of SCF/PPEK composites, but also provides valuable insights for the design of high-performance thermoplastic composites. Additionally, it contributes to a scientific understanding of the microscopic mechanisms involved in interfacial enhancement.