Wb. Liau et Fp. Tseng, THE EFFECT OF LONG-TERM ULTRAVIOLET-LIGHT IRRADIATION ON POLYMER MATRIX COMPOSITES, Polymer composites, 19(4), 1998, pp. 440-445
This study reports the individual and combined effects of ultraviolet
light and thermal shock on the physical properties of polymer matrix c
omposites in air and in a ''near-vacuum system.'' The longest exposure
time was 180 days. It was found that the weight loss of composites in
creased with irradiation time. In the graphite/epoxy system, the weigh
t loss in air was 2-3 times that in a ''near-vacuum system.'' Similarl
y, the weight loss of the glass/epoxy system in air was 3-6 times that
in a ''near-vacuum system.'' The weight loss of the glass/epoxy syste
m was always larger than that of the graphite/epoxy system. In all cas
es, the UV irradiation and 1000 times thermal shock did not change the
fracture mechanism-it was always brittle fracture in addition to fibe
r pullout. Surface erosion was observed in the irradiated surfaces by
scanning electron microscopy. For both graphite/epoxy and glass/epoxy
composites, the tensile strength decreased with increasing irradiation
time irrespective of the irradiation environment. However, the decrea
se was not significant. By SEM, cracks could be observed in the up-sur
face and side-surface of the glass/epoxy system that was irradiated mo
re than 1 month in air and through 1000 times thermal shock. Obviously
, UV light cannot deeply penetrate the sample, and only the surface of
the sample will be influenced. The UV radiation initiated microcracks
, which propagated through the thermal shock.