Page 19 - Engineered Interfaces in Fiber Reinforced Composites

2 Engineered interfaces in fiber reinforced composites

Thermal,
chemical,
mechanical

Surface layer

Fig. I .1. Schematic illustration of the components of the three-dimensional interphase between fiber and
matrix. After Drzal et al. (1983).

The issue of understanding the composition and properties of interfaces in fiber
composite materials is still evolving despite the fact that there have been a great
number of publications devoted to research in this field. Part of the reason for this
evolution is the interdisciplinary nature of the subject. In addition to a number of
multi-disciplinary conferences held in the past 30 years on adhesion science in
general, several international conferences dealing solely with the fiber-matrix
interfaces, such as the Internationai Conference on Composite Interfuces (ICCI) and
Interfacial Phenomenon in Composite Materials (IPCM), have been held since 1986.
These conferences have provided a centralized forum not only to discuss and
identify the important problems of the subject, but also to disseminate important
research results from various sources. They are thus leading the scattered research
and development efforts in a sensible direction, as well as helping to make significant
contributions toward the improvement of our fundamental understanding of
interfaces in polymer, metal and ceramic matrices composites.
Nevertheless, recent advances in research in this multi-disciplinary field have not
yet been collected together. While there are plenty of reference books available on
composite materials in general, few of them are devoted specifically to composite
interface science and mechanics. It is hoped that this book adds to the research effort
by bringing recent developments in the field together in one convenient single
volume. It is intended to create a comprehensive reference work from both the
materials science and mechanics perspectives.
It is well known that the properties of an interface are governed largely by the
chemical/morphological nature and physical/thermodynamic compatibility between
the two constituents and most often limit the overall performance of the bulk