Mechanical properties of pultruded glass fiber-reinforced plastic after moistening

The kinetics of moisture sorption under immersion in water at room and elevated temperatures and flexural characteristics of dry (conditionally initial) and wet (moistened up to saturation level) composite material were investigated on flat specimens of polyester based glass fiber-reinforced plastic, cut from I-beam pultruded profile. It was found that the coefficients of diffusion and swelling are different in three principal axis of the composite. The former have the largest value in fiber axis direction, but the latter – in transverse to fiber axis direction out of plane of the layers. The observed difference in kinetics of mass gain and change of volume strain for the specimens of various sizes allowed evaluate the volume of pores, filled with water. The large data spread for the specimens, cut from the flanges, was found. Edge specimens have lower density and showed lower elastic and strength characteristics. The material specimens moistened up to saturation level showed the decrease in flexural modulus and strength for 8% and 16.5%, respectively. No effect of sorbed moisture on tensile modulus and strength of the composite (tension along the fiber axis direction) was found.