Freeze-thaw durability of polymer matrix composites in infrastructure

The present paper discusses the effects of aging and freeze-thaw damage in polymer matrix composites. Differential scanning caloriemetry (DSC) data obtained showed that the neat resin, although saturated, did not contain any freezable traces of water, whereas the composite system did show traces of freezable water. Scanning electron and optical micrographs taken on composite cross-sections indicate clearly the presence of both interfacial cracking upon saturation along with some cracks in the resin rich areas of the pultruded component. This led the authors to believe that water tends to reside in these locations. The effect of the combination of fatigue, saturation and freeze-thaw (100 cycles) on the mechanical behavior of stitched [90/0]3s vinyl ester E-glass composite was also examined.