Environmental effects on the material integrity of fiber reinforced polymer matrix composites (PMCs) were investigated. Composite samples composed of carbon fiber reinforcement and epoxy matrix were exposed to selected environments to induce varying degrees of degradation. Material properties were then measured, specifically, glass transition temperature (Tg), weight loss, and modulus. The material integrity of the PMCs for space applications was elucidated from the results of these environmental exposures. Environmental conditions considered included: moisture, gamma radiation, and atomic oxygen (AO). The focus of this study involved determining how these environments affected the erosion behavior, as a result of the AO, and subsequent properties of the materials. From this study, it was determined that the erosion behavior of these materials was significantly affected by the enviromental exposures. Properties such as Tg and modulus were only slightly affected, however.
Environmental effects on the material integrity of fiber reinforced polymer matrix composites
Umwelteinflüsse auf die Unversehrtheit von Verbundwerkstoffen aus Polymermatrix und Faserverstärkung
1994
9 Seiten, 1 Bild, 3 Tabellen, 12 Quellen
Conference paper
English