Tunable crack propagation behavior in carbon fiber reinforced plastic laminates with polydopamine and graphene oxide treated fibers

Unstable crack propagation behavior of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) composites has a significant impact on the safety and reliability of structures in practical applications. Herein, we reported a method to improve the stability of crack growth by coating polydopamine (PDA) and graphene oxide (GO) on the surface of carbon fabric. The Mode I and Mode II testswere performed to study the delamination and crack behaviors of pure CFRP and modified CFRP. The crack propagation behavior can be tuned from unstable to stable manner without sacrificing the crack initiation during the opening mode test. It was revealed that the crack tended to fracture through the GO sheets, leading to the tearing and peeling of GO. The PDA&GO coated layers contributed to improving the load transfer between carbon fibers and polymer matrix, reducing the crack blunting degree, minimizing the unstable crack growth, and thus dissipating more energy. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.