This study investigated the residual tensile properties of plain woven jute fiber reinforced poly(lactic acid) (PLA) during thermal cycling. Temperature ranges of thermal cycling tests were 35–45 °C and 35–55 °C. The maximum number of cycles was 103 cycles. The quasi-static tensile tests of jute fiber, PLA, and composite were conducted after thermal cycling tests. Thermal mechanical analyses of jute fiber and PLA were conducted after thermal cycling tests. Results led to the following conclusions. For temperatures of 35–45 °C, tensile strength of composite at 103 cycles decreased 10% compared to that of composite at 0 cycles. For temperatures of 35–55 °C, tensile strength and Young’s modulus of composite at 103 cycles decreased 15% and 10%, respectively, compared to that of composite at 0 cycles. Tensile properties and the coefficient of linear expansion of PLA and jute fiber remained almost unchanged after thermal cycling tests. From observation of a fracture surface, the length of fiber pull out in the fracture surface of composite at 103 cycles was longer than that of composite at 0 cycles. Therefore, tensile properties of the composite during thermal cycling were decreased, probably because of the decrease of interfacial adhesion between the fiber and resin.
Water absorption behavior and flexural strength properties of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) under hot-wet environment were examined. Those of epoxy resin were also examined for reference. Weight gains of CFRP and epoxy resin were measured after immersion in distilled water at temperatures under 90°C. Quasi-static flexural tests of CFRP and epoxy resin were conducted after immersion for 180 days. Weight gains of CFRP and epoxy resin increased with increasing water temperature. After immersion for 180 days at 90°C, weight gain of CFRP became 3.3times higher and that of epoxy resin was 2.3 times higher than that at RT, respectively. When CFRP and epoxy resin were immersed in distilled water at 90°C, weight gains of CFRP and epoxy resin increased and then decreased. Flexural strengths of CFRP and epoxy resin decreased in distilled water at temperatures less than 90°C. Flexural strengths of dried CFRP and epoxy resin after immersion recovered but were lower than that of virgin CFRP and epoxy resin. Debonding of fiber/resin interface and crack initiation in epoxy resin in distilled water resulted in the strength reduction.
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