Moisture Absorption of Matrix Composites ASTM D5229

Moisture absorption of matrix composites ASTM D5229

Moisture absorption of matrix composites ASTM D5229 scope:

Moisture Absorption of Matrix Composites (ASTM D5229) is a gravimetric test method that monitors change over time of moisture content by measuring the total mass change of a coupon that was exposed to a specified environment. Within ASTM D5229 there were three other procedures covering material conditioning within a specific moisture environment.

Test procedure:
At least five 100mm * 100mm test specimens were machined from customer supplied product. The side edges were then sealed to prevent moisture absorption through the sides. The specimens were then dried, removed from the drying oven, and allowed to cool. The specimens were then weighed on an analytical balance to the nearest 0.1mg. The specimens were then placed in the appropriate conditioning environment. The specimens were removed from the conditioning environment periodically, allowed to equilibrate to room temperature in a sealed container, and weighed. This procedure was repeated until there is no discernable increase in specimen weight.

Specimen size: A common size is 100mm * 100mm. Data: Calculated mass change at equilibrium: Mass Change = (Wi Wb) / Wb * 100 Five flat, rectangular specimens of each material were prepared for testing purpose. Figure shows a comparison of the measured moisture absorption of cotton and polyester waste composites. Composites made from cotton sliver waste absorbed the highest moisture 3.9 grams while the polyester mat waste composite plate showed the lowest moisture absorption (2.2 grams). Cotton sliver waste composites, which consist of longer fibers, show higher moisture absorption. However, the experiment with comb noils composite shows that the second higher moisture absorbed composites.

Flexural strength
4.5 4 3.5 Moisture Absorbed in grams 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 polyester mat waste Blow waste Polyester+ cotton sliver waste Comb Noils Cotton Sliver waste 2.2 3.1 2.5 3.9 3.5