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Effect of Humidity and Elevated Temperature on the ageing behaviour of Fibre Reinforced Polymers
Humidity and elevated temperature can reduce the performance of fibre reinforced polymers used in the mechanical and civil engineering sector. In the framework of a student's thesis, these effects shall be investigated to generate a material model for accelerated ageing.
Keywords: Fibre Reinforced Polymers, accelerated ageing, material model
It is well known that the mechanical performance of Fibre Reinforced Polymers (FRP’s) decreases over time when exposed to humid and hot environment (matrix plasticizing and interface deterioration, glass corrosion etc.) This fact needs to be taken into account in the engineering phase of such a FRP part. As the diffusion process is slow, the specimen conditioning and testing time would exceed the engineering time phase. Hence, accelerated ageing is needed. The challenge is to reproduce the aging behaviour for service conditions by accelerated testing. In the framework of a student’s thesis, the relevant parameters for water absorption in FRP’s (e.g. temperature, diffusion coefficient, saturation level, fibre volume content, humidity, diffusion length etc.) should be identified. The residual properties are determined by specimen testing and a model can be generated, where all the identified parameters are taken into account to have an accurate prediction for the residual properties. The goal is to take the mechanical values of a set of specific specimen (matrix type, fibre volume content) at two aged states to make predictions about the performance reduction factor for arbitrary temperature, humidity, fibre volume content or laminate thickness.
It is well known that the mechanical performance of Fibre Reinforced Polymers (FRP’s) decreases over time when exposed to humid and hot environment (matrix plasticizing and interface deterioration, glass corrosion etc.) This fact needs to be taken into account in the engineering phase of such a FRP part. As the diffusion process is slow, the specimen conditioning and testing time would exceed the engineering time phase. Hence, accelerated ageing is needed. The challenge is to reproduce the aging behaviour for service conditions by accelerated testing. In the framework of a student’s thesis, the relevant parameters for water absorption in FRP’s (e.g. temperature, diffusion coefficient, saturation level, fibre volume content, humidity, diffusion length etc.) should be identified. The residual properties are determined by specimen testing and a model can be generated, where all the identified parameters are taken into account to have an accurate prediction for the residual properties. The goal is to take the mechanical values of a set of specific specimen (matrix type, fibre volume content) at two aged states to make predictions about the performance reduction factor for arbitrary temperature, humidity, fibre volume content or laminate thickness.
Generation of a material model for the accelerated ageing behaviour of fibre reinforced polymers under humidity and elevated temperature on the basis of experimental data.
Generation of a material model for the accelerated ageing behaviour of fibre reinforced polymers under humidity and elevated temperature on the basis of experimental data.
Empa Dübendorf, Lab. 304
Peter Winiger
peter.winiger@empa.ch
Empa Dübendorf, Lab. 304 Peter Winiger peter.winiger@empa.ch