Fiber reinforced polymer composites sustainability under prolonged exposure to hot seawater: Experimental and prediction study

This paper presents long-term experimental investigation of E-glass/epoxy and E-glass/polyurethane composites durability exposed to seawater at different temperatures. The thermoset composite samples were exposed to seawater of different temperatures for a prolonged exposure of 11 years. The mechanical properties were evaluated to assess the sustainability of the composites. The failure analysis was conducted to investigate the bonding of fiber/matrix interface. The prolong immersion in seawater results plasticization and swelling in the composite material which accelerate the rate of the fiber/matrix debonding. The long-term behavior of each composite was also predicted for different areas with northern latitudes (30°, 40°, and 50°) using Arrhenius degradation theory.