Deformation and Fracture Behaviors of Vinylester/Fly Ash Composites

A. STOCCHI, E. RODRGUEZ,1 A. VAZQUEZ, C. BERNAL

JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE

JOHN WILEY & SONS INC

Lugar: New York; Año: 2012 p. 1 - 10

0021-8995

In this work, the deformation and fracture behaviors of a commercial vinylester resin reinforced with fly ash were investigated. Tensile, compressive, and fracture tests were performed on the matrix and the composites with different ash content. Most composites exhibited improved stiffness, tensile strength, and fracture properties in comparison to the vinylester matrix. From scanning electron microscopic analysis of fracture surfaces, the toughening mechanisms of crack pinning, crack deflection, particle debonding, and localized shear yielding were identified. In addition, the dependence of tensile and compressive modulus and fracture energy toward ash content was adequately fitted by simple models available in the literature. From the results of these models and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis, some interaction between vinylester and ash seemed to exist.