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Moisture Characterization Of Thermoplastics And Thermosets For Use As Matrices In Fiber Reinforced Composites, Kieran Hook, Ray Hsu
Moisture Characterization Of Thermoplastics And Thermosets For Use As Matrices In Fiber Reinforced Composites, Kieran Hook, Ray Hsu
Materials Engineering
Epoxy matrix composites are widely used in aerospace industry for lighter aircraft while thermoplastic-matrix composites have traditionally been underutilized despite their excellent fracture resistance, impact strength, and the ability to be recycled. Toray Advanced Composites (Morgan Hill, CA) wants to investigate the structural integrity of thermoplastic matrices in common aircraft operating environments. An experiment was conducted to observe the effect of moisture absorption on thermoplastic composites’ mechanical strength. PEEK, PPS, and PEI matrices were compared to an epoxy matrix in this experiment. Samples were submerged in 160ºF distilled water to accelerate moisture absorption. For two months, the changes in mass …