Abstract
This study focuses on the application of the FIMEC (flat-top cylinder indenter for mechanical characterization) indentation test to evaluate the effect of water uptake on the mechanical properties of high-performance materials, in particular CFRP (carbon fibre reinforced polymer) composites. Coated and uncoated samples were analyzed. Silicon-based and siloxane coatings were formulated and applied to CFRP to reduce the moisture absorption of the material. The FIMEC test was adopted to study the reduction of the stiffness of CFRP plates for different ageing in water. The evolution of mechanical properties is reported as a function of the water uptake. IR analyses and weight variation measures were used as supporting data. Experimental results show that the FIMEC test is suitable to assess the stiffness reduction due to the aging in water and to identify coatings able to minimize the water uptake.
Highlights
A non-destructive indentation test, the FIMEC test, suitable to evaluate the local mechanical properties of CFRP (Carbon FibreReinforced Polymer) plates [1], was used in this work to characterize sample and to study the effect of moisture absorption on the stiffness, according to a preliminary study by the authors [2]
In [7] the authors studied the durability of pultruded CFRP plates under sustained bending strain immersed in seawater and water at room temperature
The matrix used for the investigated CFRP plates was epoxy resin
Summary
A non-destructive indentation test, the FIMEC (flat-top cylindrical indenter for mechanical characterization) test, suitable to evaluate the local mechanical properties of CFRP To increase the water uptake effect on the composite material and mark the differences between coating conditions, the specimens considered in the present study were made in an epoxy resin matrix. This choice was driven by the resulting high mechanical properties, good chemical resistance, low residual stress, remarkable thermal stability, and excellent ability to adhere to the fibers conferred by the epoxy resin. The characterization procedure based on weight measurement and FIMEC test, proposed in the present study, was found to evaluate the local reduction of the stiffness of CFRP plates, after different ageing in water. The moisture absorption can be related to the spectra, as the peak tends to rise due to the water uptake phenomenon, as explained in the pertinent literature [25,26]
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