Influence of Environmental Conditioning on the Shear Behavior of Poly(phenylene sulfide)/Glass Fiber Composites

Abstract

Advanced thermoplastic composites are an alternative because of their ease of processing and storage. Poly(phenylene sulfide) (PPS) stands out among these materials because of its structural characteristics; for instance, it provides size, shape, and thermal stability, low moisture absorption, excellent chemical resistance, and good mechanical properties, including flexure, strength, and shear properties, compared to thermoset composites. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of environmental conditioning on the shear strength behavior of PPS/glass fiber composites. For this reason, first, some samples were treated to UV-light exposure in a chamber. Other samples were immersed in seawater and hygrothermal baths simultaneously. They were tested with the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and Iosipescu shear test methods. The shear values obtained for the treated samples were compared against the dry sample values. For all samples tested with the ILSS and Iosipescu methods, the results indicate that the PPS/glass fiber composites presented a decrease in shear strength after they were submitted to hygrothermal and seawater solution conditioning. The moisture absorption was not uniform throughout the material, and wet conditioning induced strong matrix plasticization, which reduced the shear strength values of the laminates. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 118: 180-187, 2010