Effect of laser irradiation on morphology and dielectric properties of quartz fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite

Abstract

The quartz fiber-reinforced epoxy resin-based composites (QFRECs) were fabricated by resin transfer molding (RTM), and then the effect of laser ablation on the structure and dielectric properties of the prepared composite was investigated. The FTIR, XRD, and SEM analyses show that the thermal decomposition, pyrolysis, carbonization, graphitization, and ablation occurred on the surface of the epoxy resin under laser irradiation. The in situ produced carbon endows the QFREC with an improved dielectric constant, which increases maximally from 3.3 to 4.5 in the range of 7–17 GHz under the energy intensity of 226 W·cm−2. Compared with short-time irradiation (5 s), long-time irradiation (10 s) exhibits a greater impact on the dielectric constant due to the formation of crystal graphite at prolonged high temperature. Meanwhile, the rough and deep pits are inclined to form onthe surface of the long-time irradiative composite. These findings provide guidance for the practical application of QFREC as wave-transmitting materials.

Keywords

• quartz/epoxy composite
• rtm
• laser ablation
• graphitization
• dielectric constant