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.
Viana, G., Costa, M., Banea, M.D. and da Silva, L.F.M. (2017) Behaviour of Environmentally Degraded Epoxy Adhesives as a Function of Temperature. The Journal of Adhesion, 93, 95-112. https://doi.org/10.1080/00218464.2016.1179118
[3]
Hancox, N.L. (1998) Thermal Effects on Polymer Matrix Composites: Part 1. Thermal Cycling. Materials and Design, 19, 85-91.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0261-3069(98)00018-1
[4]
Robert, M. and Benmokrane, B. (2009) Behavior of GFRP Reinforcing Bars Subjected to Extreme Temperatures. Journal of Composites for Construction, 14, 353-360. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CC.1943-5614.0000092
[5]
Wang, J., Gang, R.H., Liang, R. and Liu, W. (2016) Durability and Prediction Models of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites under Various Environmental Conditions: A Critical Review. Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites, 35, 179-211. https://doi.org/10.1177/0731684415610920
[6]
Vauthier, E., Abry, J.C., Bailliez, T. and Chateauminois, A. (1998) Interactions between Hygrothermal Ageing and Fatigue Damage in Unidirectional Glass/Epoxy Composites. Composites Science and Technology, 58, 687-692.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0266-3538(97)00149-8
[7]
Budhe, S., Banea, M.D., De Barros, S. and Da Silva, L.F.M. (2017) An Updated Review of Adhesively Bonded Joints in Composite Materials. International Journal of Adhesion and Adhesives, 72, 30-42.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijadhadh.2016.10.010
[8]
Kutz, M. (2018) Handbook of Environmental Degradation of Materials. William Andrew, New York.
[9]
Fiedler, B.O.D.O., Hobbiebrunken, T.H.O.M.A.S., Hojo, M. and Schulte, K.A.R.L. (2005) Influence of Stress State and Temperature on the Strength of Epoxy Resins. 11th International Conference on Fracture, Turin, 20-25 March 2005, 2271-2275.
[10]
Bascom, W.D. and Cottington, R.L. (1976) Effect of Temperature on the Adhesive Fracture Behavior of an Elastomer-Epoxy Resin. The Journal of Adhesion, 7, 333-346. https://doi.org/10.1080/00218467608075063
[11]
Grohs, J.W. (2007) Comparing in Situ and Bulk Constitutive Properties of a Structural Adhesive. Master Dissertation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia.
[12]
Da Silva, L.F. and Adams, R.D. (2005) Measurement of the Mechanical Properties of Structural Adhesives in Tension and Shear over a Wide Range of Temperatures. Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology, 19, 109-141.
https://doi.org/10.1163/1568561053148449
[13]
Hawileh, R.A., Abu-Obeidah, A., Abdalla, J.A. and Al-Tamimi, A. (2015) Temperature Effect on the Mechanical Properties of Carbon, Glass and Carbon-Glass FRP Laminates. Construction and Building Materials, 75, 342-348.
https://doi.org/10.3390/polym8050196
[14]
Ou, Y., Zhu, D., Zhang, H., Huang, L., Yao, Y., Li, G. and Mobasher, B. (2016) Mechanical Characterization of the Tensile Properties of Glass Fiber and Its Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Composite under Varying Strain Rates and Temperatures. Polymers, 8, 196. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym8050196
[15]
Eslami, S., Taheri-Behrooz, F. and Taheri, F. (2012) Effects of Aging Temperature on Moisture Absorption of Perforated GFRP. Advances in Materials Science and Engineering, 2012, Article ID: 303014. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/303014
[16]
Kumar, B.G., Singh, R.P. and Nakamura, T. (2002) Degradation of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Composites by Ultraviolet Radiation and Condensation. Journal of Composite Materials, 36, 2713-2733.
https://doi.org/10.1177/002199802761675511
[17]
Grammatikos, S.A., Evernden, M., Mitchels, J., Zafari, B., Mottram, J.T. and Papanicolaou, G.C. (2016) On the Response to Hygrothermal Aging of Pultruded FRPs Used in the Civil Engineering Sector. Materials & Design, 96, 283-295.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2016.02.026
[18]
Grammatikos, S.A., Jones, R.G., Evernden, M. and Correia, J.R. (2016) Thermal Cycling Effects on the Durability of a Pultruded GFRP Material for Off-Shore Civil Engineering Structures. Composite Structures, 153, 297-310.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2016.05.085
[19]
Dogan, A. and Atas, C. (2016) Variation of the Mechanical Properties of E-Glass/Epoxy Composites Subjected to Hygrothermal Aging. Journal of composite materials, 50, 637-646. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021998315580451
[20]
Mahato, K.K., Dutta, K. and Ray, B.C. (2017) Effect of Thermal Spike Conditioning on the Tensile Behavior of Glass/Epoxy Composites.
[21]
Khalili, S.M.R., Najafi, M. and Eslami-Farsani, R. (2017) Effect of Thermal Cycling on the Tensile Behavior of Polymer Composites Reinforced by Basalt and Carbon Fibers. Mechanics of Composite Materials, 52, 807-816.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11029-017-9632-5
[22]
ASTM International (2015) ASTM D638-14, Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Plastics. ASTM International.
[23]
Johnson, W.S. and Butkus, L.M. (1998) Considering Environmental Conditions in the Design of Bonded Structures: A Fracture Mechanics Approach. Fatigue and Fracture of Engineering Materials and Structures, 21, 465-478.
https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1460-2695.1998.00533.x
[24]
Broughton, W.R., Mera, R.D. and Hinopoulos, G. (1999) Cyclic Fatigue Testing of Adhesive Joints: Environmental Effects. NPL Report CMMT (A) 192, 1-18.
[25]
ASTM, S. (2014) E1356-08. Standard Test Method for Assignment of the Glass Transition Temperatures by Differential Scanning Calorimetry, American Society of Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, USA.
[26]
Baftechi, S. (2008) Effect of Thermal Loading on Metal/Fiber-Reinforced Composite Interface. Master Thesis, Dalhousie University, Halifax Canada.
[27]
Vašková, H. and Křesálek, V. (2011) Raman Spectroscopy of Epoxy Resin Crosslinking. 13th WSEAS International Conference on Automation Control, Modeling and Simulation, Lanzarote, 27-29 May 2011, 357-361.
[28]
Hardis, R., Jessop, J.L., Peters, F.E. and Kessler, M.R. (2013) Cure Kinetics Characterization and Monitoring of an Epoxy Resin Using DSC, Raman Spectroscopy, and DEA. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 49, 100-108.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2013.01.021
[29]
Cabral-Fonseca, S., Correia, J.R., Rodrigues, M.P. and Branco, F.A. (2012) Artificial Accelerated Ageing of GFRP Pultruded Profiles Made of Polyester and Vinylester Resins: Characterisation of Physical-Chemical and Mechanical Damage. Strain, 48, 162-173. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-1305.2011.00810.x
[30]
Ajiboye, G.I. (2012) Industrially Relevant Epoxy-Acrylate Hybrid Resin Photopolymerizations. The University of Iowa, USA.
https://doi.org/10.17077/etd.0xa1exp7
[31]
Crawford, A., Silva, E., York, K. and Li, C. (2017) Raman Spectroscopy: A Comprehensive Review. Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science, North Carolina State University.
[32]
Barbosa, A.Q., Da Silva, L.F.M. and Öchsner, A. (2015) Hygrothermal Aging of an Adhesive Reinforced with Microparticles of Cork. Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology, 29, 1714-1732. https://doi.org/10.1080/01694243.2015.1041358
[33]
Foulc, M.P., Bergeret, A., Ferry, L., Ienny, P. and Crespy, A. (2005) Study of Hygrothermal Ageing of Glass Fibre Reinforced PET Composites. Polymer Degradation and Stability, 89, 461-470.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2005.01.025
[34]
McCreery, R.L. (2005) Raman Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis. Vol. 225, John Wiley and Sons, New York.
[35]
Farquharson, S., Bassilakis, R., DiTaranto, M.B., Haigis, J.R., Smith, W.W., Solomon, P.R. and Wallace, J.F. (1994) Measurement of Thermal Degradation in Epoxy Composites by Fourier Transform Raman Spectroscopy. Fiber Optic Physical Sensors in Manufacturing and Transportation, 2072, 319-332.
https://doi.org/10.1117/12.166867
