Effect of Temperature and Fiber Coating on the Strength of E-Glass Fibers and the E-Glass/Epoxy Interface for Single-Fiber Fragmentation Samples Immersed in Water

The effect of absorbed moisture on the strengths of fibers and the fiber/matrix interface for an epoxy reinforced with continuous fibers of E-glass is under investigation. Single-fiber fragmentation tests of glass/epoxy model composites have shown degradation of the strengths of both the fiber and the interface after immersion in water. The fragmentation specimens were tested as-fabricated and after immersion in distilled water at 25 and 75 C for more than 4000 h. Two coatings were applied to the fibers, one epoxy-compatible and the other vinylester-compatible, in an effort to include the initial interfacial shear strength as a variable. Analyses of the fragmentation test results adapting the approach of Wagner and coworkers were used to determine moisture-induced changes in the fiber strength, making it possible to also evaluate changes in the interfacial strength.