Effect of Thermal Exposure on Residual Properties of Wet Layup Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

Ambient cured wet layup carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites used extensively in the rehabilitation of infrastructure and in structural components can be exposed to elevated temperature regimes for extended periods of time of hours to a few days due to thermal excursions. These may be severe eno...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: SoonKook Hong, Vistasp M. Karbhari
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-07-01
Series:Polymers
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/14/2957
_version_ 1797433091000631296
author SoonKook Hong
Vistasp M. Karbhari
author_facet SoonKook Hong
Vistasp M. Karbhari
author_sort SoonKook Hong
collection DOAJ
description Ambient cured wet layup carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites used extensively in the rehabilitation of infrastructure and in structural components can be exposed to elevated temperature regimes for extended periods of time of hours to a few days due to thermal excursions. These may be severe enough to cause a significant temperature rise without deep charring as through fires at a small distance and even high-temperature industrial processes. In such cases, it is critical to have information related to the post-event residual mechanical properties and damage states. In this paper, composites are subjected to a range of elevated temperatures up to 260 °C over periods of time up to 72 h. Exposure to elevated temperature regimes is noted to result in a competition between the mechanisms of post-cure that can increase the levels of mechanical characteristics, and the deterioration of the resin and the bond between the fibers and resin that can reduce them. Mechanical tests indicate that tensile and short beam shear properties are not affected negatively until the highest temperatures of exposure considered in this investigation. In contrast, all elevated temperature conditions cause deterioration in resin-dominated characteristics such as shear and flexure, emphasizing the weakness of this mode in layered composites formed from unidirectional fabric architectures due to resin deterioration. Transitions in failure modes are correlated through microscopy to damage progression both at the level of fiber-matrix interface integrity and through the bulk resin, especially at the inter-layer level. The changes in glass transition temperature determined through differential scanning calorimetry can be related to thresholds that indicate changes in the mechanisms of damage.
first_indexed 2024-03-09T10:12:11Z
format Article
id doaj.art-1a2d57eac8244513b4b840bc138b7035
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2073-4360
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-09T10:12:11Z
publishDate 2022-07-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Polymers
spelling doaj.art-1a2d57eac8244513b4b840bc138b70352023-12-01T22:37:03ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602022-07-011414295710.3390/polym14142957Effect of Thermal Exposure on Residual Properties of Wet Layup Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy CompositesSoonKook Hong0Vistasp M. Karbhari1Department of Mechanical and Naval Architectural Engineering, Naval Academy, Changwon City 440-746, KoreaDepartment of Civil Engineering, and Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USAAmbient cured wet layup carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites used extensively in the rehabilitation of infrastructure and in structural components can be exposed to elevated temperature regimes for extended periods of time of hours to a few days due to thermal excursions. These may be severe enough to cause a significant temperature rise without deep charring as through fires at a small distance and even high-temperature industrial processes. In such cases, it is critical to have information related to the post-event residual mechanical properties and damage states. In this paper, composites are subjected to a range of elevated temperatures up to 260 °C over periods of time up to 72 h. Exposure to elevated temperature regimes is noted to result in a competition between the mechanisms of post-cure that can increase the levels of mechanical characteristics, and the deterioration of the resin and the bond between the fibers and resin that can reduce them. Mechanical tests indicate that tensile and short beam shear properties are not affected negatively until the highest temperatures of exposure considered in this investigation. In contrast, all elevated temperature conditions cause deterioration in resin-dominated characteristics such as shear and flexure, emphasizing the weakness of this mode in layered composites formed from unidirectional fabric architectures due to resin deterioration. Transitions in failure modes are correlated through microscopy to damage progression both at the level of fiber-matrix interface integrity and through the bulk resin, especially at the inter-layer level. The changes in glass transition temperature determined through differential scanning calorimetry can be related to thresholds that indicate changes in the mechanisms of damage.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/14/2957polymer matrix compositesthermal exposureresidual characteristicsmechanical propertiesdeterioration
spellingShingle SoonKook Hong
Vistasp M. Karbhari
Effect of Thermal Exposure on Residual Properties of Wet Layup Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites
Polymers
polymer matrix composites
thermal exposure
residual characteristics
mechanical properties
deterioration
title Effect of Thermal Exposure on Residual Properties of Wet Layup Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites
title_full Effect of Thermal Exposure on Residual Properties of Wet Layup Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites
title_fullStr Effect of Thermal Exposure on Residual Properties of Wet Layup Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites
title_full_unstemmed Effect of Thermal Exposure on Residual Properties of Wet Layup Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites
title_short Effect of Thermal Exposure on Residual Properties of Wet Layup Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites
title_sort effect of thermal exposure on residual properties of wet layup carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites
topic polymer matrix composites
thermal exposure
residual characteristics
mechanical properties
deterioration
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/14/2957
work_keys_str_mv AT soonkookhong effectofthermalexposureonresidualpropertiesofwetlayupcarbonfiberreinforcedepoxycomposites
AT vistaspmkarbhari effectofthermalexposureonresidualpropertiesofwetlayupcarbonfiberreinforcedepoxycomposites