TY - JOUR
T1 - Hygroscopic ageing of nonstandard size sandwich composites with vinylester-based composite faces and PVC foam core
AU - Ding, Anxin
AU - Wang, Jihui
AU - Ni, Aiqing
AU - Li, Shuxin
PY - 2018/12/15
Y1 - 2018/12/15
N2 - This paper aims to assess the hygroscopic behaviour of nonstandard size sandwich composites constituted of thick Electronical-Chemical Resistance (ECR) glass fibre reinforced vinylester composite faces bonded to closed-cell Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) foam core in the service environment as a reference and basis for materials selection. In order to exhibit the change of sandwich composites properties in realistic environment, the specimens fabricated by Vacuum Infusion Moulding Processing (VIMP) were immersed in two humid conditions: seawater with 30 °C (SWL) and purewater with 80 °C (PWH) for 1680 h. The moisture uptake and various mechanical properties of specimens, including the flatwise tension strength, flatwise compressive strength, in-plane shear strength, shear strength using short beam bending and edgewise compressive strength were tracked periodically. The results from water absorption measurement indicate that the specimens immersed in two humid conditions reach saturation levels after immersion of 1008 h, and non-Fickian and Fickian diffusion occur simultaneously. The characterization on mechanical properties was mainly placed on the variation of PVC foam core and faces-core interface properties, and corresponding results reveal that the moisture absorption has insignificant effects on the PVC foam core properties but appreciably affects the composite faces and face-core interface properties, especially for the specimens immersed in PWH.
AB - This paper aims to assess the hygroscopic behaviour of nonstandard size sandwich composites constituted of thick Electronical-Chemical Resistance (ECR) glass fibre reinforced vinylester composite faces bonded to closed-cell Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) foam core in the service environment as a reference and basis for materials selection. In order to exhibit the change of sandwich composites properties in realistic environment, the specimens fabricated by Vacuum Infusion Moulding Processing (VIMP) were immersed in two humid conditions: seawater with 30 °C (SWL) and purewater with 80 °C (PWH) for 1680 h. The moisture uptake and various mechanical properties of specimens, including the flatwise tension strength, flatwise compressive strength, in-plane shear strength, shear strength using short beam bending and edgewise compressive strength were tracked periodically. The results from water absorption measurement indicate that the specimens immersed in two humid conditions reach saturation levels after immersion of 1008 h, and non-Fickian and Fickian diffusion occur simultaneously. The characterization on mechanical properties was mainly placed on the variation of PVC foam core and faces-core interface properties, and corresponding results reveal that the moisture absorption has insignificant effects on the PVC foam core properties but appreciably affects the composite faces and face-core interface properties, especially for the specimens immersed in PWH.
KW - Hygroscopic
KW - Moisture uptake
KW - PVC foam core
KW - Sandwich composites
KW - Vinylester
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85052151992&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.compstruct.2018.08.031
DO - 10.1016/j.compstruct.2018.08.031
M3 - Article (Academic Journal)
AN - SCOPUS:85052151992
SN - 0263-8223
VL - 206
SP - 194
EP - 201
JO - Composite Structures
JF - Composite Structures
ER -