Plasma Treatment and its Effects on the Tribological Behaviour of Basalt/Epoxy Woven Composites in a Marine Environment

Interfacial debonding at the fibre/matrix interface is known to cause the critical fracture of fibre-reinforced. polymer composites (FRPs). Especially in a marine environment, the bonding between fibre and matrix is easily weakened by moisture absorption. In this study, a basalt woven fabric was surface-treated by atmospheric oxygen plasma to improve adhesive force at the fibre/matrix interface and its effects on the wear properties of a basalt/epoxy woven composite in a marine environment were investigated. Ball-on-disk wear tests were performed and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze the wear track. The results indicated that oxygen plasma treatment of a basalt fibre reduced. moisture diffusion in basalt/epoxy woven composites; while an untreated specimen took 30 days to reach maximum moisture content, similar moisture content was only observed in the oxygen plasma treated specimen after 40 days. In addition, oxygen plasma treatment of a basalt fibre improved the wear properties of the basalt/epoxy woven composite, and the wear volume of the basalt/epoxy woven composite (prior to moisture absorption) was reduced from 2.95 mm(3) to 0.65 mm(3). The surface treatment also appeared to cause an increase in the interfacial adhesion between the fibre and resin, thus reducing the debonding of basalt fibres on the wear surface.