TY - JOUR A1 - Krauklis, A. E. A1 - Starovka, O. A1 - Gibhardt, D. A1 - Aouissi, H. A. A1 - Burlakovs, J. A1 - Sabalina, A. A1 - Fiedler, Bodo A1 - Kalinka, Gerhard T1 - Reversible and irreversible effects on the epoxy GFRP fiber-matrix interphase due to hydrothermal aging N2 - Epoxy R-Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) composite plates were hydrothermally aged at 60 ◦C for 23, 75, and 133 days. The water content reached 0.97 wt%, 1.45 wt% and 1.63 wt%, respectively. The studied GFRP matrix was inert to hydrolysis or chain scission, allowing for investigation of irreversible changes in the fiber-matrix interphase due to hydrothermal aging upon re-drying. During each period, a subset of the specimens was removed from the water bath and dried in a chamber. The weight loss upon drying was explained with epoxy leaching (impurities), sizing-rich interphase hydrolysis, glass fiber surface hydrolysis, accumulated degradation products escaping, and water changing state from bound to free. The influence of hydrothermal aging on the fiber-matrix interfacial properties was investigated. Lower interfacial strength of hydrothermally aged (wet) samples was attributed to plasticization of the epoxy, plasticization and degradation of the sizing-rich interphase (including formation of hydrolytic flaws), and hydrolytic degradation of the glass fiber surface. The kinetics of epoxy-compatible epoxysilane W2020 sizing-rich interphase hydrolysis provided an estimate of ca. 1.49%, 4.80%, and 8.49% of the total composite interphase degraded after 23, 75, and 133 days, respectively. At these conditions, the interface lost 39%, 48%, and 51% of its strength. Upon re-drying the specimens, a significant part of the interfacial strength was regained. Furthermore, an upward trend was observed, being 13%, 10% and 3% strength, respectively; thus, indicating a possibility of partial recovery of properties. KW - GFRP KW - Hydrothermal Ageging KW - Interphase KW - Water Diffusion KW - Desorption KW - Interfacial Strength PY - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-581554 SN - 2666-6820 VL - 12 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Elsevier B.V. CY - Amsterdam, Niederlande AN - OPUS4-58155 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -