Materials

& Design
Materials and Design 28 (2007) 1647–1650
www.elsevier.com/locate/matdes

Technical report

Effect of water absorption on the mechanical properties of

glass/polyester composites
Gu Huang *, Hongxia Sun
School of Textiles, Tianjin Polytechnic University, 63 Chenglingzhuang Road, Hedong District, Tianjin 300160, PR China

Received 29 July 2005; accepted 15 March 2006

Available online 6 May 2006

Abstract

Laminates were developed by glass fibre fabric and unsaturated polyester. The fabrication was conducted by using the VARI (Vac-
uum Assisted Resin Injection) technique. The effect of water immersion on the tensile strength and bending behaviour of the composites
was experimentally investigated. After immersed in water at a temperature of about 30 C for various periods, the composites experi-
enced significant reduction of the tensile strength, meanwhile the bending behaviour was improved. These are attributed to the function
of the water molecules penetrated in the composites. The failure mode of the samples was shown.
 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
Because of its competitive cost and relatively good
mechanical properties, glass fibre has enjoyed the wide-
spread popularity to make reinforced composites in the
marine field, such as canoes, fishing trawlers, patrol boats,
mine hunting ships, masts and domes of submarines. Glass
fibres can also find their use in the reinforcement of the
composites for offshore drilling platforms of gas exploita-
tion, liquid conducting pipes, etc. Items cited above would
be immersed in water in their usage. Some other glass fibre
reinforced composites may be used in civil infrastructure,
for the repair of pylon piers of bridges and overpasses.
Long time exposure to high humidity environment would
have a similar effect on these materials as those in water.
The effect of moisture or water on the properties of glass
fibre reinforced composites is an important issue since such
environmental factors are often present in actual service
conditions [1]. It is essential that the composites retain their
mechanical properties with less degradation in the water or
moisture environments.
It is believed that in the water environment, water mol-
ecules will enter rapidly the interphase of the composites
between the fibre and the resin because of the capillarity
[2]. The polymer matrix and the fibre/matrix interphase
can be degraded by a hydrolysis reaction of unsaturated
groups within the resin [3–6]. Debonding may occur at
fibre/matrix interphase [7]. A concern with using glass fibre
composites in marine structures is the limited understand-
ing and small database of information of their long term
durability in water.
The aim of this project is to investigate the tensile
strength, bending behaviour, degradation mechanism of
the glass/unsaturated polyester composites after immersed
in water for certain period of time. After the composites
were fabricated by using the VARI (Vacuum Assisted
Resin Injection) method, the laminates were put into a dis-
tilled water tub. The water uptake was measured for each
period. The tensile strength and the bending behaviour of
the samples were tested. It is revealed that as the immersion
time of the composites increased, the tensile strength of the
specimens was gradually reduced, on the other hand, the
bending strength was increased and reasons were analyzed.
2. Experimental

The glass fabric used in the investigation was provided by the Tianjin
*
Corresponding author. Tel.: 86 22 24528528; fax: 86 22 24528017. Chemical Factory. The fabric was a plain weave, composed of E glass
E-mail address: huanglll@public.tpt.tj.cn (G. Huang). bundles with the fineness of 114.8 tex. The warp count is 61 ends/10 cm

0261-3069/$ - see front matter  2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.matdes.2006.03.014
1648 G. Huang, H. Sun / Materials and Design 28 (2007) 1647–1650

and the weft count is 61 picks/10 cm. Tensile strength of the fabric for was set at 2 mm/min. The results of the tensile strength test
warpwise is 681.5 N, and weftwise 635.5 N. The fabric area weight is are summarized in Table 2.
140.05 g/m2.
Unsaturated polyester resin was selected as the matrix and correspond-
Each datum in Table 2 is based on 5 determinations. It is
ing hardener and promoter were included in the ingredient. VARI tech- clearly seen in the table that the breaking strength and ten-
nique was used to fabricate the 3-layer laminates with the area of sile stress of the composites decreased gradually with
300 mm · 300 mm. Forty hours after the fabrication, laminates were cut increased water immersion time. Statistic calculation dem-
along the warp direction of the fabric, samples were 250 mm in length onstrates that the differences of the breaking strength and
(warpwise) and 25 mm in width (weftwise).
Samples were divided into three groups corresponding to different
tensile stress among the 4 situations are highly significant.
water immersion periods. In this investigation, three time intervals were The results indicate that the material has experienced some
used, these included 7, 14 and 21 days. For the 21-day immersion group, forms of physical damage and/or chemical degradation.
weight of samples was measured on a microbalance accurate to 1 mg Composites deterioration occurs as cracks of the matrix
before immersed in water and was measured again when definite immer- and fibre/matrix debonding due to tensile strains induced
sion time was reached.
The composite panels were immersed in a large tub containing distilled
by environmental swelling and decomposition of the
water and temperature of about 30 C. The panels were withdrawn from matrix. The weakening of bonding between fibre and
the water at planned days, wiped dry to remove the water on the surface. matrix and softening of matrix material are also reasons
Mechanical properties were tested within 30 min after the withdrawal of of the decreased composite strength.
the samples from the tub. Three-point bending test was carried out according to
Three-point bending test was carried out on the instrument developed
by the research group, the tensile strength was measured by using the
the Chinese standard GB3356/1982. The configuration of
Multi-Purpose Instron Tester (Model 3396). the test is illustrated in Fig. 1.
The distance between the two pivots was 180 mm, a
3. Testing and analysis fixed load (0.5 N) was pressed at the middle of the sample
during the test, the maximum deflections of specimens were
Table 1 shows the sample weight of the original and recorded. Fig. 2 illustrates the testing results.
after each water immersion period. One should notice that the smaller the value in Fig. 2,
Each datum in Table 1 is the mean of 5 measurements. the greater the bending resistance. It shows that after water
The percentage mass increase of the samples are 0.5%, immersion the bending behaviour of the samples is
0.9% and 1.5% for the immersed days of 7, 14 and 21, improved. The datum of 7-day water treatment is lower
respectively. One may see the steady increase of the sample than expected, this may contribute to the testing error.
mass with prolonged immersion time. Statistic analysis
shows that the specimen weight change is significant. It Table 2
Tensile strength of the composites
seems that water uptake in a short period as employed in
this research showed gradual increase with increased Breaking Tensile stress Elongation at
strength (N) (MPa) break (%)
immersion days. Prolonged water immersion may finally
make the sample saturated. When the composites have Original sample 3246.77 192 3.11
7-day water immersion 3098.26 181 3.07
been immersed in water, water molecules would be 14-day water immersion 3002.96 176 3.27
attracted by the hydrophilic groups in the glass fibre and 21-day water immersion 2754.11 162 3.15
the unsaturated polyester. On the other hand, the capillar-
ity would conduct the water molecules to the material,
voids and cracks in the composites are ideal spaces to load
accept the water.
After longer time immersion in the water, hydrophilic
groups of the polyester and the glass fibre would have sample
chemical reactions with water molecules, soluble materials pivot 1 pivot 2
may generate. This would cause a gradually weight decline
Fig. 1. Configuration of the bending test.
and eventually the mass of the composites dropped below
its original mass [3]. In this case, the specimen weight is a
consequence of two effects: water absorption and material
Bending distance (mm)

26.5
extraction. 26
During the tensile test the distance between the two
25.5
clamps was kept 200 mm and the crosshead displacement
25

Table 1 24.5
Sample weight (g) 24
Original 5.178 23.5
0 7 14 21
7 days 5.204
14 days 5.225 Water treated days (days)
21 days 5.256 Fig. 2. Bending behaviour of samples.
 G. Huang, H. Sun / Materials and Design 28 (2007) 1647–1650
Anyway, the descending trend of the bending distance with
increased immersion time is obvious. The results are con-
tradictory to traditional conclusions [4–6]. In the case when
the sample is being bended in the wet state, the water mol-
ecules would make the panel more integrity, resulting in a
greater bending resistance.
It is beyond doubt that after water immersion, panels
were deteriorated, this would discourage the bending
strength. On the other hand, thinner panels were employed
in the project in order to accelerate the water uptake and
reach saturation sooner. The higher uptake of water may
be one reason of the improved bending resistance. After
immersion, all the voids and cracks of the laminates would
be filled with water, which acts as a plasticiser to favour the
bending strength. The resulted bending behaviour would
be a combination of the both mentioned above. The panel
thickness may influence the results in water durability
studies.
4. Failure mode
Figs. 3 and 4 show the broken sections of the glass/poly-
ester composite before and after the water immersion,
respectively. The photos were taken by using the scanning
electron microscope (Model KYKY made of Beijing
Microscope Factory, Beijing, China).
Fig. 3. Broken section of the original sample (160·).
Fig. 4. Broken section after 21-day water immersion (120·).
1649
From Fig. 3 one may notice the white particles (the
polyester matrix) are closely adhered on fibre (the black
rod) surface. Delamination between the fibre and the
matrix is not noticed.
After water immersion (Fig. 4), one may see that the sur-
face of some fibres is smooth without stuck resin particles,
this may illustrate that debonding happened between the
fibre and the matrix. Water can cause swelling and plastic-
isation of the polymer matrix and debonding at the fibre/
matrix interphase. During the moisture absorption of the
interphase, water molecules came into the free space of
polymers or macrovoids formed by cavities and cracks,
which induced more new cavities and cracks, thus the inter-
phase was gradually damaged.
5. Summary
When the glass/polyester composites are immersed in
the water, water uptake would happen. This is the results
of capillarity of the materials and the water absorption of
the hydrophilic groups in the glass fibre and the unsatu-
rated polyester. The weight uptake would increase with
prolonged immersion time as far as the composite is unsat-
urated. The reaction between the water molecules and the
matrix would deteriorate the interphase resulting in a
weaker material.
Water can cause matrix swelling, interphase debonding,
physical damage of the interphase and hydrolysis of the
material, these are the main reasons of the deteriorated ten-
sile strength.
EMS photo demonstrates that the delamination between
the fibre and the matrix after water immersion is obvious.
This explains the decrease of the reduced tensile strength
of the material.
The bending resistance showed an increased trend with
increased water immersion time. The author believed that
the entered water may act as a plasticiser making the lam-
inate a more entirety.
The effect of moisture or water on the properties of poly-
mer composites is an important issue, further studies are
necessary.
Acknowledgement
This research was financed by the Key Laboratory of
China Education Ministry, Zhejiang University of Sciences
under the project ‘‘Research on ageing behaviours of com-
posites in moisture environments’’ (No. 2005003).
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