A TOF SIMS STUDY OF THE INCORPORATION OF ALUMINUM INTO THE SILANE COATING ON E-GLASS FIBERS

Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF SIMS) in static and scanning mode has been used to study the modification of E-glass fibre surfaces with the silane coupling agent, g-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS). Subsequent treatment with the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol S (DGEBS) has been used to simulate the interface in a fibre composite. The formation of chemical bonds between the glass surface the silane deposit and the resin are discussed. The most important observation is confirmation that aluminium from the glass surface is incorporated integrally into the APS silane coating. On treatment with DGEBS the aluminium signal can still be detected uniformly within the reaction product with the APS deposit.