Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol.84, No.12, 2185-2195, 2002
Influence of mechanical stresses on the hydrolytic aging of standard and low styrene unsaturated polyester composites
Standard and low styrene emission glass fiber-reinforced unsaturated polyester (FRP) composites were aged by immersion under flexural and tension loads, to evaluate modifications to the mechanical properties as a function of exposure time under stress. The application of a mechanical load does not modify either the quantity of the absorbed water or the diffusion coefficients significantly. For an applied stress of less than 10% of the fiber strength, the influence on aging is small, but for larger applied stresses, the rate of reduction in the mechanical properties is accelerated and, in some cases, premature rupture is observed.
Keywords:unsaturated polyester;glass-fiber composites;mechanical properties;water diffusion;aging;aging under load