BMI-Based Coupling Agent to Improve Adhesion in Self-Healing Composites

Recently, the availability of thermo-reversible epoxies is interesting for research and industry due to its implication in the implementation of the next generation of advanced materials. However, fiber-reinforced composites made with self-healing epoxies have lower performances than commercial products. Therefore, the availability of a suitable treatment to improve the adhesion between fiber and matrix will compensate the lack of performances experienced in thermo-reversible composites. Here, a route for decorating dry commercial preform with bismaleimide (BMI) is presented in order to promote the adhesion between matrix and reinforcement. The grafting of BMI on the glass support is measured by means of contact angle. The interfacial strength between fiber and resin is measured by micro-droplet pull-out test. The BMI-based coupling agent leads to a 92% increase in interfacial strength for a self-healing system.