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Influence of Sea Water Aging on the Mechanical Behaviour of Acrylic Matrix Composites

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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.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Pierre Gérard and Sebastien Taillemite of Arkema, for the gift of unreinforced and carbon fibre reinforced acrylic specimens, and for helpful discussions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IFREMER Centre Bretagne, Marine Structures Laboratory, 29280, Plouzané, France

    P. Davies, P-Y. Le Gac & M. Le Gall

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  1. P. Davies
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  2. P-Y. Le Gac
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  3. M. Le Gall
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Correspondence to P. Davies.

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Davies, P., Le Gac, PY. & Le Gall, M. Influence of Sea Water Aging on the Mechanical Behaviour of Acrylic Matrix Composites. Appl Compos Mater 24, 97–111 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10443-016-9516-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10443-016-9516-1

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