0000000000161932
AUTHOR
D. Badagliacco
Assessment of performance degradation of hybrid flax-glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites during a salt spray fog/dry aging cycle
The main goal of this paper is the evaluation of the performances reversibility of hybrid composites when they are dried after being aged in salt-fog environment. To this aim, epoxy composites reinforced with flax and glass fabrics respectively in the internal and external laminae were at first exposed to salt-fog (i.e., identified as wet phase) and then stored in controlled conditions (i.e., identified as dry phase). The flexural properties evolution of these composites as well as their water uptake and contact angle were monitored at varying time of both phases. The flexural strength and modulus of hybrid composites is 23.4% (17.9%) and 15.5% (12.9%) lower than unaged ones after 30 (15) d…
Influence of anodizing surface treatment on the aging behavior in salt-fog environment of aluminum alloy 5083 to fiber reinforced composites adhesive joints
The present work aims to evaluate how an innovative and eco-friendly anodizing process with tartaric-sulfuric acid (TSA) bath and a pore widening in an aqueous solution of NaOH 0.1 M can improve the durability in marine environment of co-cured adhesive joints between an aluminum alloy (AA 5083) and fiber (i.e., glass or basalt)-reinforced composite substrates. The aging was carried out by exposing samples to salt-fog spray conditions (5 wt.% NaCl) for 30, 60 and 90 days in a climate chamber, in accordance with ASTM B117. In order to get further insights on the aging behaviour of bonded joints, neat matrix was also exposed to the same environment for 60 days. Quasi-static mechanical tests an…
Induced Modification of Flexural Toughness of Natural Hydraulic Lime Based Mortars by Addition of Giant Reed Fibers
Abstract Nowadays, there is a growing need to reduce the environmental impact generated by the use of inorganic materials for building applications. The aim of this work is to investigate the bio-lime based mortar flexural toughness improvement due to the addition of common reed fibers (Arundo donax L.) in order to evaluate their possible application as ductile eco-compatible prefabricated bricks or laying and joint mortars for masonry. Different sets of specimens were tested by varying the fiber weight content and the fiber length. Moreover, chemical treatments with Linseed Oil and Polyethylene glycol (PEG) were performed to improve the physical and mechanical properties of the fibers as w…
Aging resistance of bio-epoxy jute-basalt hybrid composites as novel multilayer structures for cladding
Abstract Aging resistance of jute reinforced laminates is compared with two jute/basalt hybrid laminates prepared with different stacking sequences (i.e., sandwich and intercalated configuration). To this aim, composites are exposed to cyclic conditions comprising hygrothermal stress and UV radiation to promote an accelerated aging, for a period of 84 days. Specimens of each laminate are tested after 14, 28, 56 and 84 days, respectively. Quasi-static flexural tests, Charpy impact tests and dynamic mechanical tests are performed according to international ASTM and ISO standards. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry are used to evaluate the morpholog…
Viscoelastic Behavior of an Epoxy Resin Modified with Recycled Waste Particles Analyzed through a Fractional Model
It is well-known that the addition of randomly dispersed particles in polymers influences their linear viscoelastic behavior and dynamic mechanical properties. The aim of this study was to describe the viscoelastic behavior of an epoxy resin modified by waste glass and rubber particles using the linear fractional spring-pot model. Unlike complex classical exponential models, fractional models, being only two-parameter dependent, make it easier to characterize the viscoelastic behavior of materials. Isothermal relaxation and single frequency sweep temperature dynamic tests were carried out in a dynamic mechanical analyzer DMA150 by varying the content of the particles from 0 to 20% by weight…
Effect of silane coupling treatment on the adhesion between polyamide and epoxy based composites reinforced with carbon fibers
The increasing efforts aimed to design structures with reduced weight and better mechanical performances has led in recent years to a growing use of fiber reinforced polymer materials in several fields such as marine. However, these materials can be composed of chemically very different elements and, hence, may be difficult to joint. This research aims to improve the adhesion between a thermoplastic matrix of polyamide reinforced with short carbon fibers (PA12-CR) and a carbon fiber reinforced epoxy matrix (CFRP). Two different silane coupling agents, (3-Aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (AM) and (3-Glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (EP), were applied, through the spray deposition method, on th…
On the response of flax fiber reinforced composites under salt-fog/dry conditions: Reversible and irreversible performances degradation
Abstract Despite their scarce resistance to humid or wet conditions, natural fiber reinforced composites (NFRCs) seem to be able to partially recover their performances under discontinuous exposition to marine environment. To investigate this peculiarity, flax fiber reinforced composite was at first subjected to salt-fog spray condition at 35 °C for 15 and 30 days, respectively, and then stored in ‘‘dry” condition (i.e., 50% R.H. and 22 °C) between 0 and 21 days. The performances evolution was evaluated through flexural tests, water uptake and contact angle measurements. Moreover, the morphology of fractured mechanical samples was examined by using 3D optical microscope and scanning electro…
Physical and mechanical properties of sustainable hydraulic mortar based on marble slurry with waste glass
This paper aims to propose and characterize a sustainable hydraulic mortar entirely obtained by the reuse of waste materials, with marble slurry coming from quarries in the north-western Sicily and glass powder coming from a waste collection plant in Marsala (Province of Trapani). The first was used as raw material to produce the mortar binder by a kilning and slaking process, while the second was used as a pozzolanic additive. The chemical and morphological characterization of the marble slurry was done by XRD, FTIR, STA and SEM analyses. Glass powder was analyzed through particle size distribution measurements, XRD and standard pozzolanic tests. Hydraulic mortars constituted by slaked lim…
An experimental investigation on performances recovery of glass fiber reinforced composites exposed to a salt-fog/dry cycle
The main goal of this paper is the evaluation of the properties reversibility of glass fiber reinforced polymers (GFRPs) under discontinuous exposure to aggressive environmental conditions, typical of marine applications. To this aim, the GFRP manufactured through vacuum infusion process has been initially aged in humid conditions (i.e., exposure to salt-fog at 35 ◦C) for 15 and 30 days and then stored under controlled dry conditions (i.e., 50% R.H. and 23 ◦C) for times varying between 0 and 21 days. In order to evaluate the recover capability of this material, its water uptake has been monitored along the quasi-static flexural properties during the entire humid/dry cycle. Moreover, both 3D…
Controlling Thermal Flows through Natural Materials in Building Construction Sector
Nowadays, the attention about the building sustainability is increasingly emerging, because of the major responsibility of the building field on the environmental degradation: both in terms of energy consumption from non-renewable sources and the raw materials impoverishment. In addition, the level of comfort required by users is growing and the thermal insulation of buildings becomes the key element for the reduction of energy consumption and CO2 emissions, both in the case of new construction and of the existing ones. The heat load of a building depends on the presence of insulating material which defines the performance of the building envelope. The main purpose of this work is both to i…
Effects of anodizing surface treatment on the mechanical strength of aluminum alloy 5083 to fibre reinforced composites adhesive joints
Abstract In this study, the anodizing process based on the use of tartaric sulfuric acid solution (TSA) was carried out on metal substrate to evaluate for the first time its effect on the adhesion strength and corrosion resistance of aluminium alloy (i.e., AA5083) to fibre (i.e., basalt or glass) reinforced composite adhesive joints for nautical applications. Furthermore, some TSA anodized samples were soaked in a NaOH solution to investigate the influence of this post-immersion step on the joint performances. With the aim to improve the fibre-matrix adhesion in the composite substrate thus further increasing the overall mechanical response of the joint, glass and basalt fibres were treated…
Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Insulating Sustainable Mortars with Ampelodesmos mauritanicus and Pennisetum setaceum Plants as Aggregates
The use of natural fibers in cement composites is a widening research field as their application can enhance the mechanical and thermal behavior of cement mortars and limit their carbon footprint. In this paper, two different wild grasses, i.e., Ampelodesmos mauritanicus, also called diss, and Pennisetum setaceum, also known as crimson fountaingrass, are used as a source of natural aggregates for cement mortars. The main purpose is to assess the possibility of using the more invasive crimson fountaingrass in place of diss in cement-based vegetable concrete. The two plant fibers have been characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), helium picnometry and thermogravimetric an…
Mechanical properties of basalt fiber reinforced composites manufactured with different vacuum assisted impregnation techniques
Abstract This work describes an experimental mechanical characterisation campaign on composites made out of a quasi-unidirectional basalt fabric. In order to evaluate the ability of commercial basalt fabrics and their composites to meet the potentials of basalt fibers, the work has used raw materials from commercial catalogs with no further modification. Two common manufacturing techniques for medium performance composites have been adopted: vacuum assisted resin infusion, and hand-impregnated vacuum bagging. Two panels, one for each technique, have been fabricated, able to provide a sufficient number of samples for a comprehensive stiffness and strength characterization through Tensile, Fl…
An Innovative Treatment Based on Sodium Citrate for Improving the Mechanical Performances of Flax Fiber Reinforced Composites
The goal of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of a cost-effective and eco-friendly treatment based on the use of sodium citrate (Na3C6H5O7) on the mechanical properties of flax fiber reinforced composites. To this scope, flax fibers were soaked in mildly alkaline solutions of the sodium salt at different weight concentration (i.e., 5%, 10% and 20%) for 120 h at 25 °C. The modifications on fibers surface induced by the proposed treatment were evaluated through Fourier transform infrared analysis (FTIR), whereas scanning electron microscope (SEM) and helium pycnometer were used to obtain useful information about composites morphology. The effect of the concentration of the treating …
In situ monitoring of moisture uptake of flax fiber reinforced composites under humid/dry conditions
The use of green materials such as natural fiber-reinforced composites represents an increasingly stringent prerogative in the future planning of industrial and non-industrial production. The optimization of these materials is the main aim of the current research, focused on the evaluation of the behavior of flax fiber reinforced composites exposed to isothermal adsorption and desorption cycles, at varying the partial pressure of water vapor (P/P0). For this purpose, the moisture uptake and the morphology changes of the composite material and their constituents were in situ monitored through a measurement protocol, by using a dynamic vapor sorption (DVS) analysis, coupled with an environmen…
Evaluation of the temperature effect on the fractional linear viscoelastic model for an epoxy resin
The paper deals with the evolution of the parameters of a fractional model for different values of temperature. An experimental campaign has been performed on epoxy resin at different levels of temperature. It is shown that epoxy resin is very sensitive to the temperature.