Interface modification of carbon fibers has been shown to improve the mechanical performance of composites. In addition, interface modification of carbon fiber composites can impart multifunctionality into the resulting composite. This work will explore ZnO and MnO2 as interface modifications for use on carbon fibers. When exposed to high temperatures, carbon fibers undergo fiber degradation, leading to the need for low-temperature hydrothermal processes. This work will develop and characterize a nanoscale ZnO and MnO2 interface modification for use on carbon fibers. These nanomodifications will be developed with low-temperature processes, minimizing the fiber degradation that the fibers undergo. Fourier transform infrared spectrography and Scanning Electron Microscopy will be used to characterize the resulting interface modification.
Adhesion between nanoscale modification and carbon fiber is crucial to the interfacial strength of the resulting hybrid composite interfaces. This adhesion strength can be studied using nanoscratch to find the force needed to cause delamination of the nano-modification. This work will report on the nanoscratch tests on both ZnO and MnO2 nano modifications. Results show a required force of 947 μN to fully delaminate the MnO2 nano modification and a force of 2907 μN to fully delaminate the ZnO nano modification.
Nanoscratch results are compared and correlated to nanoscale fiber push in testing. It was found that higher delamination force correlates with interfacial strength obtained from nanoindentation. This work will discuss and correlate the interfacial interaction mechanisms of nanoscale fiber delamination. Future work regarding improvements to fiber interfacial modifications is presented.
","abstract_html":"<p>Interface modification of carbon fibers has been shown to improve the mechanical performance of composites. In addition, interface modification of carbon fiber composites can impart multifunctionality into the resulting composite. This work will explore ZnO and MnO2 as interface modifications for use on carbon fibers. When exposed to high temperatures, carbon fibers undergo fiber degradation, leading to the need for low-temperature hydrothermal processes. This work will develop and characterize a nanoscale ZnO and MnO2 interface modification for use on carbon fibers. These nanomodifications will be developed with low-temperature processes, minimizing the fiber degradation that the fibers undergo. Fourier transform infrared spectrography and Scanning Electron Microscopy will be used to characterize the resulting interface modification.</p> <p>Adhesion between nanoscale modification and carbon fiber is crucial to the interfacial strength of the resulting hybrid composite interfaces. This adhesion strength can be studied using nanoscratch to find the force needed to cause delamination of the nano-modification. This work will report on the nanoscratch tests on both ZnO and MnO2 nano modifications. Results show a required force of 947 μN to fully delaminate the MnO2 nano modification and a force of 2907 μN to fully delaminate the ZnO nano modification.</p> <p>Nanoscratch results are compared and correlated to nanoscale fiber push in testing. It was found that higher delamination force correlates with interfacial strength obtained from nanoindentation. This work will discuss and correlate the interfacial interaction mechanisms of nanoscale fiber delamination. Future work regarding improvements to fiber interfacial modifications is presented.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Skoppe, Alexander C."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering","degree_level":"Thesis - Open Access","degree_discipline":"Aerospace Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-07-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2025-07-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:26:16Z","subjects":["Interfacial Modification","Nanoindentation","Nanoscale debonding","functionalization","interfacial adhesion","nanomodification","metal oxide","ZnO","supercapacitance","piezoelectric","Ceramic Materials","Mechanics of Materials","Structural Materials","Structures and Materials"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.erau.edu/edt/922","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Skoppe, Alexander C."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Aerospace Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - Open Access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Interfacial Modification","Nanoindentation","Nanoscale debonding","functionalization","interfacial adhesion","nanomodification","metal oxide","ZnO","supercapacitance","piezoelectric","Ceramic Materials","Mechanics of Materials","Structural Materials","Structures and Materials"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.erau.edu/edt/922"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Interface modification of carbon fibers has been shown to improve the mechanical performance of composites. In addition, interface modification of carbon fiber composites can impart multifunctionality into the resulting composite. This work will explore ZnO and MnO2 as interface modifications for use on carbon fibers. When exposed to high temperatures, carbon fibers undergo fiber degradation, leading to the need for low-temperature hydrothermal processes. This work will develop and characterize a nanoscale ZnO and MnO2 interface modification for use on carbon fibers. These nanomodifications will be developed with low-temperature processes, minimizing the fiber degradation that the fibers undergo. Fourier transform infrared spectrography and Scanning Electron Microscopy will be used to characterize the resulting interface modification.
Adhesion between nanoscale modification and carbon fiber is crucial to the interfacial strength of the resulting hybrid composite interfaces. This adhesion strength can be studied using nanoscratch to find the force needed to cause delamination of the nano-modification. This work will report on the nanoscratch tests on both ZnO and MnO2 nano modifications. Results show a required force of 947 μN to fully delaminate the MnO2 nano modification and a force of 2907 μN to fully delaminate the ZnO nano modification.
Nanoscratch results are compared and correlated to nanoscale fiber push in testing. It was found that higher delamination force correlates with interfacial strength obtained from nanoindentation. This work will discuss and correlate the interfacial interaction mechanisms of nanoscale fiber delamination. Future work regarding improvements to fiber interfacial modifications is presented.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["MnO2 Nanoscale Interface Modification"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Skoppe, Alexander C."],"dc:description.abstract":["Interface modification of carbon fibers has been shown to improve the mechanical performance of composites. In addition, interface modification of carbon fiber composites can impart multifunctionality into the resulting composite. This work will explore ZnO and MnO2 as interface modifications for use on carbon fibers. When exposed to high temperatures, carbon fibers undergo fiber degradation, leading to the need for low-temperature hydrothermal processes. This work will develop and characterize a nanoscale ZnO and MnO2 interface modification for use on carbon fibers. These nanomodifications will be developed with low-temperature processes, minimizing the fiber degradation that the fibers undergo. Fourier transform infrared spectrography and Scanning Electron Microscopy will be used to characterize the resulting interface modification.
Adhesion between nanoscale modification and carbon fiber is crucial to the interfacial strength of the resulting hybrid composite interfaces. This adhesion strength can be studied using nanoscratch to find the force needed to cause delamination of the nano-modification. This work will report on the nanoscratch tests on both ZnO and MnO2 nano modifications. Results show a required force of 947 μN to fully delaminate the MnO2 nano modification and a force of 2907 μN to fully delaminate the ZnO nano modification.
Nanoscratch results are compared and correlated to nanoscale fiber push in testing. It was found that higher delamination force correlates with interfacial strength obtained from nanoindentation. This work will discuss and correlate the interfacial interaction mechanisms of nanoscale fiber delamination. Future work regarding improvements to fiber interfacial modifications is presented.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.erau.edu/edt/922"],"dc:subject":["Interfacial Modification","Nanoindentation","Nanoscale debonding","functionalization","interfacial adhesion","nanomodification","metal oxide","ZnO","supercapacitance","piezoelectric","Ceramic Materials","Mechanics of Materials","Structural Materials","Structures and Materials"],"dc:title":["MnO2 Nanoscale Interface Modification"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Aerospace Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - Open Access"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:26:16Z"}