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The degradation with aluminum of pitch-based carbon fibers of a wide range of Young's moduli has been studied, and changes in the tensile strength of aluminum-coated pitch-based carbon fibers after heat treatment are discussed. The structure parameters and the microstructure of the pitch-based carbon fibers are determined by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Interface analysis is performed with Auger electron spectroscopy. The tensile strength of aluminum-coated pitch-based carbon fibers decreases as a function of the Young's modulus. Variation in the microstructure of the pitch-based carbon fibers seems to cause different interactions at the interface between the aluminum and carbon fibers. With heat treatment, aluminum-coated pitch-based carbon fibers gradually degrade as a function of the Young's modulus. With an increase in the structure parameter Lc(002) of the fibers, there is an increase in the degradation of pitch-based carbon fiber removed from aluminum after heat treatment. Pitch-based fibers which show little or no degradation with aluminum after heat treatment are desirable if they are to be used for the reinforcement of aluminum-matrix composites.
