Processing and characterization of nickel-plated PBO fiber with improved interfacial properties

A new application of conventional electroless nickel plating to improve the interfacial properties of PBO fibers was reported. The relationship between surface morphology and interfacial properties of nickel-plated PBO fiber was explored. The continuous nickel coating consisted of nickel and phosphorus elements determined by Energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and transmission electron microscope (TEM), exhibiting high adhesive durability. The influence of bath temperature and plating time on the crystal structure, microstructure and mechanical properties of nickel-plated PBO fibers was systematically investigated. X-ray diffractometer (XRD) results revealed that the crystal structure among nickel-plated PBO fibers did not show differences. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Atomic force microscope (AFM) images showed that the process parameters had a great influence on surface morphology and roughness of nickel-plated PBO fibers, which could directly affect the interfacial properties of nickel-plated PBO fibers. Single fiber pull-out testing results indicated that the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of PBO fibers after electroless nickel plating had a significant improvement, which reached maximum at 85 °C for 20 min. Single fiber tensile strength of nickel-plated PBO fibers was slightly lower than that of untreated one. Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that nickel-plated PBO fiber had excellent thermal stability.