Influence of moisture absorption on flexural properties of syntactic foams

This work studies the influence of moisture absorption on the flexural properties of vinyl ester matrix–glass particle syntactic foams. The extent and the effect of moisture absorption are related to the wall thickness and volume fraction of the particles present in the composite. Four compositions of vinyl ester–glass systems are exposed to deionized and sea water conditions. Experimental findings are compared with results on virgin specimens. In general, the exposure of syntactic foams to a water environment yields a deterioration of Young’s modulus. This phenomenon is more prominent with deionized water as compared to sea water and increases with the particle volume fraction. In addition, results from water absorption tests show that syntactic foams have a lower diffusivity as compared to the neat resin. Experimental data are interpreted by using available modeling tools that allow for predicting the composite behavior from the properties of its constituents.