INTEMA   05428
INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIONES EN CIENCIA Y TECNOLOGIA DE MATERIALES
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
artículos
Título:
Effect of water absorption on the dynamical mechanical properties of composites used for windmill blades
Autor/es:
EMMANUEL FAGUAGA; CLAUDIO JAVIER PEREZ; N. VILLARREAL; EXEQUIEL S. RODRIGUEZ; VERA ALVAREZ
Revista:
MATERIALS & DESIGN
Editorial:
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
Referencias:
Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2012 vol. 36 p. 609 - 616
ISSN:
0261-3069
Resumen:
Glass fiber/unsaturated polyester composites (with
and without nanofiller) were produced by using the VARI (vacuum assisted resin infusion)
technique. These materials will be used in windmill blades and, therefore, they
are expected to be exposure to high humidity environments. The fabricated
specimens were immersed in water at 80ºC for different periods of time. DMA (dynamic
mechanical analysis) technique was employed to investigate the matrix
degradation and interfacial debonding of the aged specimens. The gradually
decreased Tg (glass transition
temperature), E (storage modulus),
and the increased tan δ (energy
dissipation) with extended exposure time indicated that both the matrix and the
interface had been deteriorated by the water. While matrix degradation occurs
in a short period of time, composites degradation takes place gradually,
showing that the degradation of the interphase in composites is the limiting
step for the whole degradation process. Nanoclays were incorporated to the UP (unsaturated polyester) matrix
showing a detrimental effect in degradation resistance, probably because of the
degree of hydrophilicity of the selected clay, which produces a weak interphase
with the polymeric matrix.