Prediction of circumferential equilibrium spacing between charged polymer particles in contact with a grounded carbon fiber

A numerical model that can accurately predict the electrostatic forces (attractive and repulsive) between charged polymer particles in contact with a grounded carbon fiber considering circumferential interactions is developed. The results obtained are used to predict the particle-to-particle equilibrium circumferential spacing as a function of the associated friction coefficient that exists between the charged particles and the carbon fiber surface. A parametric study is conducted to study the effects of particle charge levels and particle sizes (R2/R1 = 1, 2, and 5) in the presence of the grounded carbon fiber on the electrostatic forces as a function of particle angular spacing along the fiber circumference. The parametric results are useful in the design of electrostatic powder impregnation processes for composites where the fiber volume fraction is determined by the diameter of particle size, particle charge, and equilibrium spacing governed by electrostatic forces and particle/fiber surface frictional interactions. [Display omitted] •The performance of the composite is dependent on its fiber volume fraction.•Increasing the throughput of the composite requires an understanding of the basic design parameters.•Polymer charge plays an important role on dictating the final equilibrium spacing.•Polymer and fiber types has a unique friction coefficient.