A novel water-soluble sizing agent that enhances the interface and tribological characteristics of CF/PPEK composites

In this study, a novel environmentally friendly water-based sizing agent (HPPAEN-COOH) was designed and prepared This sizing agent exhibited good thermal stability and stability in aqueous solutions, significantly improving the interfacial and tribological properties of CF/PPEK composites. Compared to UCF/PPEK composites, the wear coefficients under dry friction and oil lubrication conditions were reduced by 52.3 % and 46.3 %, respectively. Furthermore, the interfacial strengthening mechanism of the sizing agent was investigated from a microscopic perspective using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Both experimental and simulation results demonstrated that the use of the sizing agent effectively enhanced the interfacial interaction between the resin and the fiber. This study offers novel insights for the development of high-performance thermoplastic resin-based composites and for understanding the microscopic mechanisms of their interfacial modification.