ArticleApplied Composite Materials

March 2004, Volume 11, Issue 2, pp 77-98

First online:

Application of Interlaminar Tests to Marine Composites. Relation between Glass Fibre/Polymer Interfaces and Interlaminar Properties of Marine Composites

Christophe Baley

, Yves Grohens

, Frédéric Busnel

, Peter Davies

This is not a direct answer to your question, bur it may help indirectly.

1

Applied Composite Materials

Volume 14, Number 1 / January, 2007; Pages 67-87

http://dx.doi.org/10.

1007/s10443-006-9033-8

©2007 Springer Science+Business Media

The original publication is available at

http://www.springerlink.com

Archimer

,

archive institutionnelle de l’Ifremer

http://www.ifremer.fr/docelec/

Damage Resistance of Composites B

ased on Glass Fibre Reinforced Low

Styrene Emission Resins fo

r Marine Applications

Y. Perrot

1,*

, C. Baley

1

, Y. Grohens

1

and P. Davies

2

(1) Université de Bretagne Sud, L2PIC, BP 92116, 56321 Lorient, Cedex, France

(2) IFREMER, Materials & Structures gro

up (ERT/MS), BP70, 29280 Plouzané, France

Abstract

Composites based on glass fiber reinforced low st

yrene emission polyester resins have been widely

used over the last 10 years, in order to meet increa

singly strict safety regula

tions, particularly in the

pleasure boat industry. Previous studies of their mechanical properties suggested that although these

resins are generally more brittle than traditional or

thophthalic polyester resins

this did not adversely

affect the properties commonly used for quality cont

rol (short beam shear and tensile failure strength

of mat reinforced composites). In the present paper results from a more detailed study of damage

behaviour are presented. Tests include fracture toughness (

K

Ic

) tests on resins, fibre/matrix interface

energy, detection of composite damage initiation in

tension by acoustic emission, composite

delamnation (

G

Ic

and

G

IIc

), and low energy impact. Overall the re

sults indicate that the low failure

strain of low styrene emission resins results in significantly lower composite damage resistance.

This one fits better!! Look at literature 27 and others

Peter

Abrasion of a glass fibre polyester or epoxy laminate can result in: scratches or pitting of the gel coat, decreased thickness of gel coat, or blisters caused by water permeation and osmotic pressure. Each of these is best assessed by cutting a test specimen and then using microscopy of face or each to measure size and frequency of defects or gel coat thickness. Imaging software can quantify surface defects/features.

If you want to measure in-situ then there are portable USB digital microscopes or macro cameras (such as Olympus TG-4 underwater digital camera), and some microscopes and the TG-4 can operate underwater. I have used some of these techniques (though only a film underwater camera and not an underwater microscope) to assess boats and swimming pools consisting of unsaturated polyester resin and glass fibre; and pools coated with epoxy resin. When the protective gel coat and/or tie-layer is diminished then the glass–resin layer will be subject to water diffusion and hydrophilic glass fibres will be attacked by diffused water giving delimitation, often observed by blisters on the surface.