Carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites are a dynamically developing group of lightweight composites for applications in the automotive, wind energy, aerospace, and sports sectors. Interfacial connection is the weakest place in these materials. In this study, an attempt was made to improve adhesion between carbon fiber and epoxy resin. For this purpose, nanoparticles of graphene oxide were added to a polymer matrix. The results of the three-point bend test showed that the strength of samples with added graphene oxide increased. Improvement of adhesion between components, reduction of the pull-out effect and change in the method of crack propagation were observed. An attempt was made to explain this effect using spectroscopic methods, both IR and Raman. On the basis of the obtained results, chemical bonds between the individual components of the composites were identified.
Keywords: CFRP–carbon fiber reinforced polymers; DRIFT spectroscopy; Raman spectroscopy; graphene oxide; laminate.