Synergy of Electrostatic and van der Waals Interactions in the Adhesion of Epoxy Resin with Carbon-Fiber and Glass Surfaces

The adhesion between epoxy resin and carbon fiber is investigated by using pair interaction energy decomposition analysis (PIEDA), by which the adhesive interaction energy and adhesive force can be partitioned into the electrostatic, exchangerepulsion, charge-transfer, and van der Waals (dispersion) contributions. The three stabilizing electrostatic, charge-transfer, and dispersion effects are correlated with the destabilizing exchange-repulsion effect. The surface structures of carbon fiber are modeled by the basal face, the armchair-edge structure, and the OH-functionalized armchair-edge structure of graphite. The surface of alpha-cristobalite (covered with OH groups), which can be viewed as a good model of a hydrophilic glass surface, is also studied. Adhesive properties of the model interfaces are evaluated on the basis of the binding energy of the resin with the carbon and glass surfaces and the adhesive force acting at the interfaces in terms of energy decomposition. PIEDA calculations demonstrate that only dispersion interactions can substantially work in the hydrophobic surfaces of the basal face and armchair-edge structures. This is a direct consequence of the electrostatic and charge-transfer interactions being cancelled by the exchange-repulsion interactions. On the other hand, both electrostatic and dispersion interactions are significant in the OH-functionalized surfaces of the armchair edge of graphite and a-cristobalite.