Abstract
Glass fibers were coated with an elastomeric material based on an epoxy-amine formulation. The process involved the continuous impregnation of fibers with a solution of the monomers, followed by solvent evaporation and cure along heated tubes. Temperature profiles were selected to attain a high conversion level at the exit while avoiding monomer losses. Unidirectional composites, including the coated fibers in a commercial epoxy-anhydride matrix, were produced by using the combined techniques of filament winding, vacuum bag and autoclave processing. A comparison of the mechanical properties of composites prepared from coated or uncoated fibers, at the same porosity level, revealed that the interlaminar shear strength remained constant while the transverse tensile strength was slightly decreased by coating the fibers. However, the transverse impact strength was significantly improved. Scanning electron microscope fractographs provided an explanation of the observed effects.
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