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- 5.3 Polymere Verbundwerkstoffe (28) (entfernen)
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.
In Leichtbauanwendungen sind Materialien mit geringen Dichten und hohen Festigkeiten gefragt. Insbesondere Faser-Kunststoff-Verbunde (FKV) erfüllen diese Anforderungen und werden zunehmend für Strukturbauteile eingesetzt. Die Oberflächen moderner Rotorblätter von Windkraftanlagen werden aus FKV gefertigt. Das Versagen dieser Materialien hat massiven Einfluss auf die Einsatzfähigkeit der gesamten Windkraftanlage. Daher ist die Kenntnis des Versagensverhaltens dieser Komponenten unter statischer und zyklischer Belastung von großem Interesse, um die Betriebsbeanspruchung abzuschätzen. Im Idealfall wird die Schadensentwicklung unter Betriebslast mit zerstörungsfreien in-situ-Prüfverfahren ermittelt. Hier berichten wir über die Beobachtung der Rissentwicklung in Carbon-Faserverstärkten Kunststoffen (CFK) unter kontinuierlicher Zugbelastung durch in-situ Synchrotron-Röntgenrefraktionsradiographie. Eine selbst entwickelte elektromechanische Zugprüfmaschine mit einem Kraftbereich bis zu 15 kN wurde in den Strahlengang an der BAMline (BESSY II) integriert. Da in herkömmlichen (Absorptions-) Radiographien Defekte wie Zwischenfaserbrüche oder Faser-Matrix-Enthaftung keinen ausreichenden Kontrast verursachen, wird zur Kontrastanhebung die Röntgenrefraktion benutzt. Hier wird das sogenannte Diffraction Enhanced Imaging (DEI) angewandt, um Primär- und gebrochene Strahlung mit Hilfe eines Analysatorkristalls zu trennen. Diese Technik ermöglicht schnelle Messungen mit einem Gesichtsfeld von einigen Quadratmillimetern (hier: 14 mm × 7.2 mm) und ist ideal für in-situ Untersuchungen. Die Bildgebung und der Zugversuch erfolgen mit einer Bildfrequenz von 0.7 / s und einer Dehnrate von 0.00055 / s . Bei 0°/90° Fasergelegen treten die ersten Zwischenfaserrisse bei 380 MPa (Dehnung 0.8 %) auf. Vor dem Versagen bei ca. 760 MPa (Dehnung 2.0 %) beobachten wir die Ausbildung eines nahezu äquidistanten Rissmusters (Risse in ca. 1 mm Abstand), das sich im geschädigten Zustand über die gesamte Probe erstreckt.
Self-healing agents have the potential to restore mechanical properties and extend service life of composite materials. Thermoplastic healing agents have been extensively investigated for this purpose in epoxy matrix composites due to their strong adhesion to epoxy and their ability to fill in microcracks. One of the most
investigated thermoplastic additives for this purpose is poly(ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) (EMAA). Despite the ability of thermoplastic healing agents to restore mechanical properties, it is important to assess how the addition of thermoplastic healing agents affect properties of the original epoxy material. In this work, EMAA was added to epoxy resin and the effect of the additive on fracture toughness of epoxy was evaluated. Results indicate that although added in low concentrations, EMAA can affect fracture toughness.
Manufacturing and deformation behavior of alumina and zirconia helical springs at room temperature
(2023)
Ceramic helical springs with identical dimensions were produced by hard machining from alumina, alumina toughened zirconia (ATZ), and tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (TZP) stabilized with different oxides. According to the results of the spring constant determination under deformation rates of 3 mm/min, the deformation behavior of all ceramic springs obeys to Hook’s law. However, variation of the deformation rate, tests under constant load, and spring recovery behavior revealed differences in the deformation behavior of alumina, TZP, and ATZ springs. Alumina springs exhibited time-independent deformation in all tests. In contrast, anelastic deformation at room temperature was demonstrated in all springs containing TZP. This deformation is completely reversible over a period of several days. Anelastic behavior is particularly pronounced in Y-TZP springs, whereas Ce-TZP springs exhibit comparatively very low but still reliably detectable anelasticity. Oxygen vacancies in the TZP ceramic are considered the most likely explanation for the anelastic behavior of TZP springs at room temperature.
A new patented dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) is presented, where the tensile, bending- or torsional stiffness of a media can be characterized in-situ during the phase transition from liquid to solid. An epoxy system, e.g. Hexion L285/H287, is filled into an elastomer container, such as a silicone tube. This can be mounted into a conventional OMA and, based on a linear viscoelastic approach, the storage modulus (E';G'), the loss modulus (E'';G'') and the loss angle tan(δ) can be measured at constant temperature as a function of time in order to investigate the liquid to sol-gel to solid transition. With this new method, the stiffness increase as a result of the cure process can be directly measured more precisely than with a rheometer in a shear plate set-up, because using an elastomer container gives a defined cross section for calculating the Young's modulus.
The interest in repair technologies for polymer composites has increased significantly over the last decades, due to the growing use of these materials in structural applications. In this study, poly (ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) (EMAA) was used as self-healing agent to glass fiber/epoxy composite. Materials with EMAA contents of 2 wt% and 5 wt% were manufactured using Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) and the effects of the healing agent on the properties were investigated using tensile tests and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA). Results show slight variation of properties, which was more pronounced as the content of EMAA increased. In addition, the healing efficiency was investigated through fatigue tests and the addition of higher content of EMAA increased the number of cycles to failure after the healing activation cycle.
Fully-reversed fatigue behavior of scarf joint repairs for wind turbine blade shell applications
(2022)
To enable a quick and cost-effective return to service for wind turbine blades, localized repairs can be executed by technicians in the field. Scarf repairs, shown to be highly efficient with a smooth load transition across angled joint walls and a restored aerodynamic profile, are the focus of this work. The failure mechanisms of these structures were examined under quasi-static tensile and fully-reversed cyclic loading. While the scarf ratio was held constant at 1:50, the repair layup was varied between large-to-small and small-to-large. The effect of the presence of resin pockets and the fiber orientation mismatch between parent and repair material on the restored strength of BIAX ±45° glass fiber reinforced polymer scarf joint structures was studied.
The phenomenon of environmental stress cracking is still a major issue in materials engineering as well as from a scientific perspective. Especially in the case of packaging materials made of high-density polyethylene, assessing the potential of premature damage due to environmental stress cracking is complex because of the large number of components in possible liquid filling goods. As a first guideline, the well-known effect of detergents and dispersants is usually considered, but the interplay with other components, such as organic solvents is often unknown. Particularly challenging in this respect are crop protection products, consisting of several different admixtures in addition to the biologically active ingredients. This study is based on two model liquids representing these admixtures that were established for testing in this context. The model liquids as well as their constituting components were used as liquid media in the Full Notch Creep Test to characterize the environmental stress cracking behavior of a typical high-density polyethylene. Complementary to the time-to failure of a notched specimen obtained from these tests, the crack opening was monitored optically, and the fracture surface was analyzed post-failure by laser scanning microscopy as well as scanning electron microscopy. Based on the results, the effect of various surfactants as well as the influence of organic solvents on environmental stress cracking are discussed.
The crack propagation rate of environmental stress cracking was studied on high-density polyethylene compact tension specimens under static loading. Selected environmental liquids are distilled water, 2 wt% aqueous Arkopal N100 solution, and two model liquid mixtures, one based on solvents and one on detergents, representing stress cracking test liquids for commercial crop protection products. The different surface tensions and solubilities, which affect the energetic facilitation of void nucleation and craze development, are studied. Crack growth in surface-active media is strongly accelerated as the solvents induce plasticization, followed by strong blunting significantly retarding both crack initiation and crack propagation. The crack propagation rate for static load as a function of the stress intensity factor within all environments is found to follow the Paris–Erdogan law. Scanning electron micrographs of the fracture surface highlight more pronounced structures with both extensive degrees of plasticization and reduced crack propagation rate, addressing the distinct creep behavior of fibrils. Additionally, the limitations of linear elastic fracture mechanisms for visco-elastic polymers exposed to environmental liquids are discussed.
Poly (ether ether ketone) (PEEK) has a high continuous service temperature, excellent mechanical properties, and good solvent and abrasion resistance, which can be further improved through the addition of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). CNT-PEEK nanocomposites are promising matrices for continuous carbon fibre composites; powder processing can mitigate the high melt viscosities in these systems. In this study, model single fibre (hierarchical) composites were produced by embedding sized and desized carbon fibres in nanocomposite CNTPEEK powders followed by single fibre pull-out tests to assess interfacial characteristics. Carbon fibre-PEEK interfacial shear strength is typically 40–45 MPa. Increasing CNT loadings increased fibre-matrix interfacial shear strength linearly up to ~70 MPa at 5.0 wt%, which was attributed to the CNT-based mechanical modification of the PEEK matrix. Apparent interfacial shear strength was inversely correlated with the embedded fibre length irrespective of carbon fibre sizing or CNT loading, indicating brittle fracture of the fibre-matrix interface.
Pulled out carbon fibres were still coated with the matrix, which indicated strong adhesion at the interface in all samples, likely related to a transcrystalline region. Adhesion was, however, negatively affected by the presence of epoxy sizings. Frictional shear strength was independent of embedded fibre length and CNT content for all samples.
In this study, the thermomechanical damage behavior of a glass fiber reinforced polymer material is investigated. The coefficients of thermal expansion of the composite as well as the matrix are measured in a wide temperature range. Quasi-static experiments with neat resin, unidirectional and multidirectional laminates are performed as well as fatigue experiments in a temperature range from 213 K to 343 K. This study focusses on the matrix damage due to fiber-parallel loading. A correlation between matrix effort, the dilatational strain energy of the matrix and the damage state of the specimen is demonstrated. It is shown that a fatigue life assessment can be performed with the aid of a temperature-independent master fatigue curve.
A potential repair alternative to restoring the mechanical properties of lightweight fiberreinforced polymer (FRP) structures is to locally patch these areas with scarf joints. The effects of such repair methods on the structural integrity, however, are still largely unknown. In this paper, the mechanical property restoration, failure mechanism, and influence of fiber orientation mismatch between parent and repair materials of 1:50 scarf joints are studied on monolithic glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) specimens under tensile load. Two different parent orientations of [-45/+45]2S and [0/90]2S are exemplarily examined, and control specimens are taken as a baseline for the tensile strength and stiffness property recovery assessment. Using a layer-wise stress analysis with finite element simulations conducted with ANSYS Composite PrepPost to support the experimental
investigation, the fiber orientation with respect to load direction is shown to affect the critical regions and thereby failure mechanism of the scarf joint specimens.
High-performance fibre-reinforced polymer composites are important construction materials based not only on the specific properties of the reinforcing fibres and the flexible polymer Matrix but also on the compatible properties of the composite interphase. First, oxygen-free (a-CSi:H) and oxygen-binding (a-CSiO:H) plasma nanocoatings of different mechanical and tribological properties were deposited on planar silicon dioxide substrates that closely mimic E-glass. The nanoscratch test was used to characterize the nanocoating adhesion expressed in terms of critical normal load and work of adhesion. Next, the same nanocoatings were deposited on E-glass fibres, which were used as reinforcements in the polyester composite to affect its interphase properties. The shear properties of the polymer composite were characterized by macro- and micromechanical tests, namely a short beam shear test to determine the short-beam strength and a single fibre push-out test to determine the interfacial shear strength. The results of the polymer composites showed a strong correlation between the short-beam strength and the interfacial shear strength, proving that both tests are sensitive to changes in fibre-matrix adhesion due to different surface modifications of glass fibres (GF).
Finally, a strong correlation between the shear properties of the GF/polyester composite and the adhesion of the plasma nanocoating expressed through the work of adhesion was demonstrated.
Thus, increasing the work of adhesion of plasma nanocoatings from 0.8 to 1.5 mJ·m−2 increased the short-beam strength from 23.1 to 45.2 MPa. The results confirmed that the work of adhesion is a more suitable parameter in characterising the level of nanocoating adhesion in comparison with the critical normal load.
A phenomenological criterion for an optical assessment of PE-HD fracture surfaces obtained from FNCT
(2021)
The full-notch creep test (FNCT) is a common test method to evaluate the environmental stress cracking (ESC) behavior of high-density polyethylene (PE-HD), e.g. for container materials. The test procedure as specified in ISO 16770 provides a comparative measure of the resistance against ESC using the time to failure of PE-HD specimens under constant mechanical load in a well-defined liquid test environment. Since the craze-crack damage mechanism underlying the ESC phenomenon is associated with brittle failure, the occurrence of a predominantly brittle fracture surface is a prerequisite to consider an FNCT measurement as representative for ESC, i.e. a time to failure dominated by craze-crack propagation.
The craze-crack propagation continuously reduces the effective residual cross-sectional area of the specimen during the test, which results in a corresponding increase of the effective mechanical stress. Thus, a transition to ductile shear deformation is inevitable at later stages of the test, leading usually to a pronounced central ligament.
Therefore, an optical evaluation of FNCT fracture surfaces concerning their brittleness is essential. An enhanced imaging analysis of FNCT fracture surfaces enables a detailed assessment of craze-crack Propagation during ESC. In this study, laser scanning microscopy (LSM) was employed to evaluate whether FNCT fracture surfaces are representative with respect to craze-crack propagation and ESC. Based on LSM height data, a phenomenological criterion is proposed to assess the validity of distinct FNCT measurements. This criterion is
supposed to facilitate a quick evaluation of FNCT results in practical routine testing. Its applicability is verified on a sample basis for seven different commercial PE-HD container materials.
Modern air-liners and wind turbine rotor blades are made up primarily of fiber reinforced plastics. Failure of these materials heavily impairs the serviceability and the operational safety. Consequently, knowledge of the failure behavior under static and cyclic loads is of great interest to estimate the operational strength and to compare the performance of different materials. Ideally, the damage evolution under operational load is determined with in situ non-destructive testing techniques. Here, we report in-situ synchrotron X-ray imaging of tensile stress induced cracks in carbon fiber reinforced plastics due to inter-fiber failure. An inhouse designed compact tensile testing machine with a load range up to 15 kN was integrated into the beamline. Since conventional radiographs do not reveal sufficient contrast to distinguish cracks due to inter-fiber failure and micro cracking from fiber bundles, the Diffraction Enhanced Imaging (DEI) technique is applied in order to separate primary and scattered (refracted) radiation by means of an analyzer crystal. This technique allows fast measurements over large fields-of-view and is ideal for in-situ investigations. Imaging and the tensile test are run at the highest possible frame rate (0.7 s-1 ) and the lowest possible strain rate (5.5∙10-4 s -1 ). For 0°/90° non-crimp fabrics, the first inter-fiber cracks occur at 380 MPa (strain 0.8 %). Prior to failure at about 760 MPa (strain 2.0 %), we observe the evolution of nearly equidistant (1 mm distance) cracks running across the entire sample in the fully damaged state.
In the present study, a simple approach was used to investigate the effect of UV-exposure on two high density Polyethylene materials (PE-HD), commonly used for storage tanks, on fuel sorption behavior and colonization by microorganisms. The aim was to investigate whether the sorption behavior of the fuels (diesel/biodiesel) and the colonization by microorganisms, frequently occurring in the fuel, is affected and may lead to undesirable or safety-relevant material changes. We showed that the UV-irradiation leads to significant changes of the sorption behavior due to chemi-crystallization and crosslinking. The fuel Sorption is affected by the UV-induced formation of polar carbonyl and hydroxyl groups predominantly occurring at the surface. With respect to microbial colonization behavior for Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, isolated from a contaminated diesel sample, differences of the initial adhesion could be shown depending on the initial type of polyethylene as well as on the degree of UV-induced degradation.
The impact fracture behavior of two common high-density polyethylene grades for container applications were intensively studied by the instrumented Charpy impact test after well-defined exposure to UV-irradiation. Individual stages of the impact event, such as crack initiation and crack propagation energy as well as maximum impact load, were investigated from the recorded load–deflection curves. UV-induced material property changes were further investigated by infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and dynamic-mechanical analysis as well as density measurements. Based on the results of the Charpy impact test, three indicators were identified to describe the extend of photooxidation on high-density polyethylene: (a) a reduced Charpy impact strength—at least to half of its initial value for a distinctly brittle impact fracture, (b) a marked decrease in the crack propagation contribution to the impact strength, and (c) an increase of the brittle features of the fracture surface.
A shell test bench was developed at BAM 5.3 which allows for static and fatigue testing of curved fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) structures, during which in-situ the damage state can be non-destructively inspected by thermography and strain-field measurement techniques. Sandwich shell specimens with typical wind turbine blade manufacturing defects were designed and tested. The tested imperfections show a fairly significant reduction (up to 90%) of the shell test specimens‘ lifetime, depending on the type of imperfection. Using the in-situ NDT methods incorporated in the shell test bench, the location and cycle time of the initial defects and the damage evolution was investigated.
Biopolymers are very efficient for significant applications ranging from tissue engineering, biological devices to water purification. There is a tremendous potential value of cellulose because of ist being the most abundant biopolymer on earth, swellability, and functional groups to be modified. A novel, highly efficient route for the fabrication of mechanically stable and natural hydrogels is described in which cellulose and glycine are dissolved in an alkaline solution of NaOH and neutralized in an acidic solution. The dissolving temperature and the glycine amount are essential parameters for the self-assembly of cellulose chains and for Tuning the morphology and the aggregate structures of the resulting hydrogels. Glycine plays the role of a physical crosslinker based on the Information obtained from FTIR and Raman spectra. Among the prepared set of hydrogels, CL5Gly30 hydrogels have the highest capacity to absorb water. The prepared CL5Gly30 gels can absorb up to seven times their dry weight due to its porous 3-D network structure. CL5Gly10 hydrogel exhibits 80% deformation under 21 N force executed. The method developed in this article can contribute to the application of heavy metal adsorption in aqueous solutions for water purification and waste management.
Modern wind turbine rotor blades consist of sandwich shell segments made from glass fiber reinforced polymers. During manufacturing, defects can arise which could lead to failure of the whole component under dynamic mechanical and thermal loads. Hence during operation defects can arise which, if detected, can be repaired locally and in-situ by applying repair patches instead of taking the whole rotor blade down and repair it remotely. This method is much more time and cost effective, since the shut-down time of the energy converter is limited to a minimum. These repair patches can, however, also lead to new defects if not applied optimally. Therefore, it is necessary to control the quality of the repair patches to ensure the best possible restoration of structural integrity of the component. As a rotor blade is an object with a large aspect ratio, X-ray laminography is predestined to provide 3D information of the objective volume. To enhance the amount of information gained from laminographic reconstruction, we use in this study a photon counting and energy discriminating X-ray detector and apply a material decomposition algorithm to the data. By inherently separating the incident spectra within the detection process into two distinct energy bins, the basis material decomposition can provide material resolved images. Choosing glass and epoxy resin as basis materials and numerically solving the inverse dual-energy equation system, the reconstructed laminographic datasets contain highly valuable information about the distribution of the basis materials within the structure. Furthermore, cross- artifacts arising from the limited angle of the projection data can be reduced by this method which allows to investigate structures that were hidden underneath the artefacts.