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Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites
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Article

The Tensile Fatigue Behaviour of a GFRP Composite With Rubber Particle Modified Epoxy Matrix

C. M. Manjunatha, Ph.D.1*, A. C. Taylor1, A. J. Kinloch1, and S. Sprenger2

1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
2 Nanoresins AG, Geesthacht, Germany

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: manjucm{at}nal.res.in.


  Abstract

A thermosetting epoxy polymer was modified by incorporating 9 wt% of a CTBN rubber microparticles. The stress-controlled CA tensile fatigue behavior at stress ratio, R = 0.1 for both the neat and the modified epoxy was investigated. The addition of rubber particles increased the epoxy fatigue life by a factor of about three to four times. The rubber particle cavitation and plastic deformation of the surrounding material was observed to contribute to the enhanced fatigue life of the epoxy polymer. Then, the neat and the rubber-modified epoxy resins were infused into a quasi-isotropic, lay-up E-glass fiber, non-crimp fabric in a RIFT set -up to fabricate GFRP composite panels. Further, the stress-controlled CA tensile fatigue tests at stress ratio, R = 0.1 were performed on both of these GFRP composites. Matrix cracking and stiffness degradation was continuously monitored during the fatigue tests. Similar to bulk epoxy fatigue behavior, the fatigue life of GFRP composites increased by a factor of about three times due to the presence of rubber particles in the epoxy matrix. The suppressed matrix cracking and the reduced crack propagation rates in the rubber-modified matrix contribute towards the enhanced fatigue life of GFRP composites employing a rubber-modified epoxy matrix.

First published on September 8, 2009
Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites 2009, doi:10.1177/0731684409344652
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