Effect of Cryogenic Cycles on Mechanical Behavior of Glass/Epoxy Composite

Abstract

Cryogenic cycling effects on the behavior of two layer-up glass/epoxy laminates were studied. One cycle of cryogenic cycling test was designated as the sequence from 65 °C to −196 °C and the tests were conducted up to 80 cycles. Dynamic mechanic analysis tests were carried out to investigate the relationship between storage modulus (E'), loss modulus (E”) or damping factor (tan δ) and cycling numbers. It was found that the storage modulus changed little and the damping factor increased with the number of cryogenic cycles increased. Creep-recovery tests were also preformed in single-cantilever mode by DMA to inspect the effect of cryogenic cycles on the creep behavior of glass/epoxy composites. The variation of the reduced creep compliance was observed considered with the number of cycles.