ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Innovation Campus, Squires Way, North Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
Shaikh N. Faisal
ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Innovation Campus, Squires Way, North Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
Tajwar A. Baigh
Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering, Islamic University of Technology, Gazipur 1704, Bangladesh
Mohammed N. Alghamdi
Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology, Yanbu Industrial College, Yanbu Al-Sinaiyah City 41912, Saudi Arabia
Mohammad S. Islam
School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Bing Song
Scion, Te Papa Tipu Innovation Park, 49 Sala Street, Private Bag 3020, Rotorua 3046, New Zealand
Xi Zhang
School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
Shuai Gao
School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
Shazed Aziz
School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
Carbon fibre reinforced polymer composites have high mechanical properties that make them exemplary engineered materials to carry loads and stresses. Coupling fibre and matrix together require good understanding of not only fibre morphology but also matrix rheology. One way of having a strongly coupled fibre and matrix interface is to size the reinforcing fibres by means of micro- or nanocarbon materials coating on the fibre surface. Common coating materials used are carbon nanotubes and nanofibres and graphene, and more recently carbon black (colloidal particles of virtually pure elemental carbon) and graphite. There are several chemical, thermal, and electrochemical processes that are used for coating the carbonous materials onto a carbon fibre surface. Sizing of fibres provides higher interfacial adhesion between fibre and matrix and allows better fibre wetting by the surrounded matrix material. This review paper goes over numerous techniques that are used for engineering the interface between both fibre and matrix systems, which is eventually the key to better mechanical properties of the composite systems.
