Enhanced interfacial bonding in UHMWPE fiber composites using one-step impregnation combined with EP activation

The identification of a practical and more effective surface modification method for improving the interfacial adhesion and bonding capacity of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has been the research focus in the field of UHMWPE fibers. In this research, a ONE-STEP impregnation process was developed and investigated. The surface analysis revealed that consistent coating was generated on the fiber surface, leading to a significantly increased surface roughness. The chemical species and functional groups on the fiber were characterised by XPS and ATR-FTIR. Microdroplet test showed that the UHMWPE/EP interfacial shear strength (IFSS) was increased by 338.1%, indicating successful functional groups introduction. The increase of fiber surface roughness was synchronously validated in the experiment of yarn pull out from fabric with an increase of 398.9%. The duration of processing was considerably reduced by the revolutionary ONE-STEP impregnation process with efficiency improvement of 63.6% on the premise of strong interface bonding. By utilizing a strong interface between the UHMWPE and epoxy as a transition layer, the adhesion strength between the UHMWPE and TPU was enhanced to 33.1 N. This advancement presents new opportunities for interfacial properties enhancement of non-reactive fiber-reinforced composites.