TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of seawater and warm environment on glass/epoxy and glass/polyurethane composites
AU - Mourad, Abdel Hamid I.
AU - Beckry Mohamed, Abdel Magid
AU - El-Maaddawy, Tamer
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgements This study was supported by the Council of International Exchange of Scholars— Fulbright Scholarship Program, the United Arab Emirates University, and WSU Foundation. The authors thank Dr. Saeed Ziaee for his valuable contribution and appreciate the help of Engr. Abdel-Sattar of the UAEU, and Mr. Jerry Johnson and undergraduate student Nick Neal of Winona State University in material preparation and data analysis.
PY - 2010/10
Y1 - 2010/10
N2 - A study of the durability of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) materials in seawater and warm environment is presented in this paper. The major objective of the study is to evaluate the effects of seawater and temperature on the structural properties of glass/epoxy and glass/polyurethane composite materials. These effects were studied in terms of seawater absorption, permeation of salt and contaminants, chemical and physical bonds at the interface, degradation in mechanical properties, and failure mechanisms. Test parameters included immersion time, ranging from 3 months to 1 year, and temperature including room temperature and 65°C. Seawater absorption increased with immersion time and with temperature. The matrix in both composites was efficient in protecting the fibers from corrosive elements in seawater; however moisture creates a dual mechanism of stress relaxation-swelling-mechanical adhesion, and breakdown of chemical bonds between fiber and matrix at the interface. It is observed that high temperature accelerates the degradation mechanism in the glass/polyurethane composite. No significant changes were observed in tensile strength of glass/epoxy and in the modulus of both glass/epoxy and glass/polyurethane composites. However, the tensile strength of the glass/polyurethane composite decreased by 19% after 1 year of exposure to seawater at room temperature and by 31% after 1 year of exposure at 65°C. Plasticization due to moisture absorption leads to ductile failure in the matrix, but this can be reversed in glass/polyurethane composites after extended exposure to seawater at high temperature where brittle failure of matrix and fiber were observed.
AB - A study of the durability of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) materials in seawater and warm environment is presented in this paper. The major objective of the study is to evaluate the effects of seawater and temperature on the structural properties of glass/epoxy and glass/polyurethane composite materials. These effects were studied in terms of seawater absorption, permeation of salt and contaminants, chemical and physical bonds at the interface, degradation in mechanical properties, and failure mechanisms. Test parameters included immersion time, ranging from 3 months to 1 year, and temperature including room temperature and 65°C. Seawater absorption increased with immersion time and with temperature. The matrix in both composites was efficient in protecting the fibers from corrosive elements in seawater; however moisture creates a dual mechanism of stress relaxation-swelling-mechanical adhesion, and breakdown of chemical bonds between fiber and matrix at the interface. It is observed that high temperature accelerates the degradation mechanism in the glass/polyurethane composite. No significant changes were observed in tensile strength of glass/epoxy and in the modulus of both glass/epoxy and glass/polyurethane composites. However, the tensile strength of the glass/polyurethane composite decreased by 19% after 1 year of exposure to seawater at room temperature and by 31% after 1 year of exposure at 65°C. Plasticization due to moisture absorption leads to ductile failure in the matrix, but this can be reversed in glass/polyurethane composites after extended exposure to seawater at high temperature where brittle failure of matrix and fiber were observed.
KW - Composite materials
KW - Durability
KW - Epoxy
KW - Fiber reinforced polymers
KW - Mechanical properties
KW - Polyurethane
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U2 - 10.1007/s10443-010-9143-1
DO - 10.1007/s10443-010-9143-1
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:78650729114
SN - 0929-189X
VL - 17
SP - 557
EP - 573
JO - Applied Composite Materials
JF - Applied Composite Materials
IS - 5
ER -