Effects of water pH and immersion time on water absorption behavior and mechanical properties of carbon fiber-reinforced bioplastic composites

This research aims to study the effects of water pH and immersion time on water absorption and mechanical properties of carbon fiber-reinforced bioplastic composites. The composite samples were exposed to three different water conditions of normal water, distilled water and saltwater. The composites were immersed for a maximum of 40 days. After immersing for 40 days, the highest moisture absorption was found for the composites immersed in distilled water. Young’s modulus and tensile strength decreased with increasing the immersion time for the composite immersed in normal water. Moreover, the effect of the moisture absorption on the mechanical properties and the fracture surface was discussed by the glass transition temperature’s thermal behavior.