Hygrothermal and stacking sequence effects on carbon epoxy composites with molded edges

Moisture and high temperature may cause a variety of effects on the mechanical and thermophysical properties of polymeric composites. The diffusion of moisture in the laminate occurs primarily by capillarity until a state of equilibrium is reached. Moisture affects the matrix and the fiber/matrix interface. The stacking sequence and the free edge finishing may affect the laminate tensile strength causing a free edge delamination; they can also affect the moisture absorption process. Laminates produced with molded edges do not require machining operations for the trimming and finishing of the free edges causing a gain in productivity. However, the mechanical behavior of laminates with molded edges saturated with moisture has not been characterized. This work presents a comparative study of the tensile strength of cross ply laminates with molded and machined edges under dry condition and saturated with moisture.