Fiber length distribution and thermal, mechanical and morphological properties of thermally conductive polycarbonate/chopped carbon fiber composites.

Abstract: Chopped carbon fibers (CCFs) coated by poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) were treated using 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane (Si), and then used for fabricating thermally conductive polycarbonate/CCF (PC/(Si + PET)@CCFi) composites with various filler contents. Optical microscopy measurements indicated that CCF fillers in the composites had a wide length distribution and, with CCF content increasing, the mean fiber length and mean fiber aspect ratio steadily decreased. Compared to PC/(Si + PET)@CCF0, the molten flowability of composites declined. Thermogravimetric analysis and pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry characterizations showed that introducing CCFs could enhance the thermal stability of the composites and restrict the pyrolytic degradation of the polymer matrix. Moreover, both in‐plane and through‐thickness thermal conductivities increased with increasing CCF content. These conductivities at 50% CCF content reached 2.45 and 0.59 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹, and were improved by 11.25 and 1.95, respectively. Furthermore, the tensile and flexural properties of the composites continuously enhanced, accompanying decreased impact strength and elongation at break. Fractography revealed that fillers dispersed in matrix uniformly and a great many fiber cross‐sections and circular cavities coexisted in fracture surface, besides a clear interface and reduced long fibers. And the fracture behavior was mainly the breaking and peeling of fibers from matrix. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]