Ablation of the organic matrix: Fundamental response of a photo-aged epoxy-glass fibre composite

A tubular, stratified glass-epoxy material composite is artificially or naturally photo-aged. For the first time, photochemical removal of the organic matrix has been measured with precision during photo-ageing with the help of an original technique allowing for the quantification of the morphological evolution on the material surface. During artificial photo-ageing, the evolution of the erosion rate of the organic matrix led to the assumption that a thin photo-oxidation reactor established and advanced on the nearby irradiated surface. Whether in a natural or artificial environment, the organic matrix decrease in thickness evolved linearly with cumulative global exposure energy. The comparisons between natural and artificial evolutions proved that rainfall was a major parameter in amplifying the erosion phenomenon. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Limited.