Grafting glycidyl methacrylate onto the surface of high modulus carbon fiber by acid activation and ionizing radiation at different doses.

• The grafting degree of carbon fiber was adjusted by adjusting the absorbed dose. • Grafting glycidyl methacrylate process of carbon fiber was optimized under low dose. • A large number of homopolymers appeared on the surface of the grafted carbon fiber. Functionalization of high modulus carbon fiber (HMCF) with high carbon content and strong surface inertness is a huge challenge. In our previous work, glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) was grafted onto the surface of HMCF through acid-activated synergistic ionizing radiation. However, grafting process was not optimized and need to be improved. In this study, the influence of absorbed dose on the grafting of GMA onto HMCF was investigated. The grafting degree of HMCF was able to effectively controlled by adjusting absorbed dose. The grafting degree of HMCF reaches a maximum value of 17.9%. After grafting, a great number of homopolymers appeared on the surface of HMCF. This result effectively reduces the waste of grafting monomers and energy, ultimately achieving better modification results at lower absorbed doses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]