Influence of Sizing Aging on the Strength and Fatigue Life of Composites Using a New Test Method and Tailored Fiber Pre-Treatment: A Comprehensive Analysis

Abstract

Given the time-consuming and complex nature associated with the aging of composites, a novel fabric pre-aging method was developed and evaluated for static and fatigue testing. It allows for investigating sizing and interphase-related aging effects. This fast method is independent of the diffusion processes and the composites’ thickness. Moreover, the new methodology offers enhanced analysis of the sizing, interphase, and fiber-related degradation of composites without aging them by conventional accelerated procedures or under severe maritime environments. For validation purposes, fiber bundle, longitudinal, and transverse tensile tests were performed with five different glass fiber inputs. Significant differences in the durability of composites were found for pre-aging and classical aging, respectively. The impacts of degradation of the single constituents on the fatigue life are identified by cyclic testing of untreated, pre-aged, and wet-aged composites. Here, it is evident that the interphase strength is likewise essential for the tension-tension fatigue performance of unidirectional composites, as is the fiber strength itself. In summary, the presented method provides industry and academia with an additional opportunity to examine the durability of different fibers, sizings, and composites for design purposes following a reasonable methodology.