Influence of Sea Water Aging on the Mechanical Behaviour of Acrylic Matrix Composites
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Influence of Sea Water Aging on the Mechanical Behaviour of Acrylic Matrix Composites P. Davies 1 & P-Y. Le Gac 1 & M. Le Gall 1
Received: 23 June 2016 / Accepted: 29 June 2016 # Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2016
Abstract A new matrix resin was recently introduced for composite materials, based on acrylic resin chemistry allowing standard room temperature infusion techniques to be used to produce recyclable thermoplastic composites. This is a significant advance, particularly for more environmentally-friendly production of large marine structures such as boats. However, for such applications it is essential to demonstrate that composites produced with these resins resist sea water exposure in service. This paper presents results from a wet aging study of unreinforced acrylic and glass and carbon fibre reinforced acrylic composites. It is shown that the acrylic matrix resin is very stable in seawater, showing lower property losses after seawater aging than those of a commonly-used epoxy matrix resin. Carbon fibre reinforced acrylic also shows good property retention after aging, while reductions in glass fibre reinforced composite strengths suggest that specific glass fibre sizing may be required for optimum durability. Keywords Acrylic . Thermoplastic . Infusion . Seawater . Immersion
1 Introduction The marine industry has traditionally used large quantities of glass fibre reinforced thermoset polyester resin, particularly for boat and ship construction [1–3]. At the end of the twentieth century as environmental and health and safety legislation became stricter there was a move to low styrene emission resins and closed mould manufacture. Today low pressure impregnation techniques such as vacuum infusion are widely used for boat-building, with considerable benefits for workers’ health. However, the matrix resins are still thermosets and there is a major problem with end-of-life disposal of composite boats. In 2008 there were estimated to be over 500,000 small composite boats in France with an average age of 23 years [4]. Their average lifetime is 30 years, so large numbers of boats must be disposed of in the next few
* P. Davies [email protected]
1
IFREMER Centre Bretagne, Marine Structures Laboratory, 29280 Plouzané, France
Appl Compos Mater
years. Unfortunately landfill is the cheapest solution, resulting in loss of valuable materials and energy. In order to improve the environmental footprint of marine composites in the future there have been various matrix polymer developments recently, including partially or fully biosourced thermoset resins and biodegradable polymers [5]. Another way to reduce environmental impact is to switch to thermoplastic polymers, which offer the possibility for recycling and re-use. However, up to now these have required a step change in manufacturing technology, needing high temperatures (typically at least 150–200 °C for polymers such as polypropylene), which are not usually available in boatyards. In 2014 Arkema introduced a liquid acrylic resin suitable f
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