Abstract
Industrial fly ash impregnated glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites were examined to assess their overall characteristics in adverse ambient conditions, keeping in mind that use of filler materials in FRP composites was expected to enhance the strength properties of the material. GFRP composite specimens with 2–10 wt % industrial fly ash were fabricated in the laboratory. These were exposed to open ambient ageing for 120 days. The samples impregnated with 8 wt % fly ash and aged for 120 days were seen to absorb the minimum moisture and exhibited the maximum ILSS of 35.19 MPa and flexural strength of 690 MPa, respectively. These samples also exhibited the highest Tg of 101.53°C as revealed through low temperature DSC. It was also observed that the 8 wt% fly ash containing samples aged in the open for 120 days showed the ILSS to be 5.83% higher and Tg to be 21.95% higher as compared to the unaged GFRP samples without fly ash. FTIR spectra confirm the trend of thermo-mechanical properties. Both optical and scanning electron microscopy of the fractured surfaces of the test samples revealed the modes of mechanical failure of the hybrid GFRP composite with their indicative properties at optimized extent of fly ash dispersion.
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