Abstract
This paper deals with the degradation behaviour of randomly oriented continuous glass-fibre mat reinforced polypropylene (glass/PP) immersed in hot water. The weight changes and the bending properties were measured after immersion in water, and these were compared with the data for glass fibre reinforced unsaturated polyester (glass/UP). The weight changes of glass/PP were much less than those of glass/UP, and the fibre/matrix interface of glass/PP maintained its effective bonding even after immersion. As a result, the reduction in bending modulus of glass/PP was very slight. The bending strength of glass/PP decreased linearly against the net weight gain and the weight loss. The relationship between the bending strength and the weight loss was almost the same, independent of the materials used. It is suggested that the strength reduction in glass reinforced polypropylene was induced by the formation of microcracks, which also caused the weight loss.
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