Environmental Aging Effect on Tensile Properties of GFRP Made of Furfuryl Alcohol Bioresin Compared to Epoxy

Biocomposites are emerging as a possible sustainable alternative in structural applications, and as a result, a major focus should be on their durability. This study focuses on the environmental aging of bioresin glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) through immersion in saltwater at elevated temperatures. The resin is furfuryl alcohol based, derived from renewable resources, such as corncobs and sugarcanes. Deterioration was quantified by tensile testing of unidirectional bioresin GFRP coupons at various stages of exposure, and compared to conventional epoxy GFRP coupons under the same conditions. A total of 150 specimens were exposed to three different environments, namely 23 degrees, 40 degrees, and 55 degrees C water with 3% salt concentration, for up to 300 days. It was found that the bioresin GFRP retained 80, 44, and 39% of its original strength at the three temperatures, respectively. On the other hand, the epoxy GFRP exhibited 86, 72, and 61% strength retentions, respectively. No reductions occurred to the Young's moduli. The Arrhenius model was applied, assuming environments with mean annual temperatures of 3 degrees, 10 degrees, and 20 degrees C, representing different regions in North America. It was estimated that bioresin GFRP strength retentions after 100 years, at the three mean temperatures, are 65, 61, and 50%, respectively. (C) 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.