Abstract
This study was directed toward the analysis of the effects of hygrothermal ageing on the fatigue behaviour of a unidirectional glass/epoxy composite. In the first stage, the fatigue properties of the unaged composite were studied in various environments involving moisture and temperature. Local interactions between the surrounding moisture and the crack tip were found to induce significant losses in lifetimes at the most elevated temperature (70 °C). In the second stage, fatigue properties were investigated after a preliminary ageing step. Hygrothermal defects created in the bulk composite during the water-sorption step induced a significant decrease in fatigue properties, especially after ageing in immersion. These overall losses of properties were linked to the drop in the statistical distribution of the fibre strength after ageing. The latter was measured by means of a micro-mechanical analysis of the first fibre breaks during mechanical loading. This analysis was performed in situ, i.e. in the real physico-chemical environment encountered by the glass fibres during ageing. A strong correlation was found between the physico-chemical degradation of the matrix and the fibre weakening.
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