Abstract
An experimental investigation is conducted to evaluate the potential degradation in the mechanical properties of an epoxy resin and unidirectional glass fiber-reinforced epoxy (GFRE) as a result of exposure to fluctuating temperature. A commonly used room-cured epoxy resin and the GFRE are subjected to various numbers of thermal cycles (up to 1000 heating/cooling cycles). Mechanical tests are conducted to examine the influence of thermal cycles on the stiffness, ultimate strength and strain of the resin and its GFRE. The Fourier transform-Raman spectroscopy (FT-Raman) is conducted to investigate the influence of the thermal cycles on the resulting chemical changes and curing degree of the resin. In addition, the Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analysis is conducted to investigate the variation in the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the resin as a function of the applied thermal cycles.
Highlights
Adhesives and fiber-reinforced composites often undergo thermal fluctuations; as a result, their mechanical properties could be degraded
The main objective of the present work is to investigate the influence of thermal cycles on the performance of a commonly used neat epoxy resin, and the E-glass fiber reinforced laminate composite produced with the same resin
An investigation was carried out to establish the influence of thermal cycles on the mechanical properties of a widely-used epoxy resin, and the unidirectional E-glass fiber-reinforced composite made using the resin
Summary
Adhesives and fiber-reinforced composites often undergo thermal fluctuations; as a result, their mechanical properties (e.g. stiffness and strength) could be degraded. Thermal fluctuations often occur in real-life and depending on the configuration and purpose of a given structural system, the resulting degradation could adversely affect the performance of the system. An example of such a system would be adhesively bonded joints (ABJ). The performance of an ABJ mating fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRP) can be significantly affected. Special care must be exercised when thermoset resins/adhesives and fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRP) are used in structural applications that would be experiencing harsh environments [1]-[8]
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