The influence of hygrothermal aging on the hoop tensile strength of glass fiber wound polymer composites fabricated via filament winding technique

Abstract

The study investigates the impact of moisture environment treatment, on the hoop tensile strength (HTS) of glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites, through hygrothermal aging. GFRP cylinders were fabricated with varied parameters—volume fraction, winding angle, and stacking sequences using a filament winding machine. The fabricated samples are subjected to hygrothermal aging using seawater and tap water with oil at 80 °C for 1080 h (45 days). The HTS tests were performed on unaged and aged samples. There was a reduction in HTS for aged samples which is attributed to heat, seawater contamination, and oil. The highest and lowest HTS values recorded are 402.9 MPa and 118.3 MPa for unaged and tap water with oil-aged samples respectively. HTS in aged samples is compared with unaged samples. The study opens up avenues in identifying the best-suitable combination for retaining HTS under various aging conditions.