Sizing effects on main relaxation process of cyanate ester glass fiber composites using dynamic mechanical and microthermal analyses

The influence of sizing/polymer interaction or interphase on dynamic mechanical relaxation properties of cyanate ester composites was investigated by means of dynamic mechanical analysis. The dynamic mechanical behavior of different samples (three types of composites with different sizing and neat resin) was analyzed by using two phenomenological models (TFV and WLF). Related coefficients such as C-1, C-2, and T-infinity (Vogel temperature) were evaluated. Results have shown that these parameters were strongly dependent on sizing state, therefore, on interphase. In addition, the frequency dependence of the molecular relaxation process was well described by the Cole-Cole plot. These results were confirmed by the sizing extract/ resin blend study. Microthermal analysis has shown that partial miscibility existed between resin and sizing extract. Local thermal analyses were carried out by positioning the probe over selected regions: bulk resin and sizing/resin blend. A decrease in resin glass-transition temperature was observed in the sizing resin blend. The different results have shown that a local plasticization of resin by sizing occurred with crosslink density modification. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.