A Review on Thermo-Mechanical Durability of Glass Fiber/Polymer Composites in Water

Glass fiber/polymer composites find extensive application in marine industry; however, the durability of theses marine structures has always been a matter of concern owing to their continuous exposure to harsh marine environment. The objective of this study is to consolidate and analyze the work that has been carried out so far, primarily focusing on the influence of the marine-environment characteristics on water absorption and its subsequent impact on the mechanical properties of glass fiber reinforced composites. It is found that immersion time and operational temperature are the two prominent factors that influence the durability of these polymer composites. Moisture causes reversible changes such as plasticization and irreversible changes such as hydrolysis, cracking, and crazing which subsequently exerts a detrimental effect on the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of epoxy resins. During the initial stage of water absorption, the moisture content increased rapidly with the immersion time, and then it increased slowly as the immersion time stretched until the moisture content in the specimen reached a saturation level. Prolong exposure in water not only led to a substantial deterioration in static mechanical properties; it also altered the mode of failure from a brittle matrix-ductile fiber to ductile matrix-brittle fiber.