Effect of special environmental factors exerted on mechanical properties of CFRP

This research aims at clarifying the behavior of deterioration of composite materials in the special environment of single factor or compound factors, examining the similarity of the acceleration of deterioration to actual environment and extracting the singularity, and establishing the method of evaluating the properties to withstand environmental effect. In this study, the test on the exposure to various special environments, such as thermal shock, low temperature-high temperature cycle fatigue, electron beam irradiation and heat and vacuum, was carried out. An Instron type testing machine was used, and measurement was carried out at room temperature. The results of the examination of the change of properties due to the change of testing condition by thermal shock test, the electron beam irradiation test at 7.5 x 108 rad/h, and the examination of the degasing from CFRP by heat and vacuum test are reported. It was found that bending stress loading method was effective as an accelerated test method because the lowering of residual bending fracture strength was accelerated by thermal shock test. The mechanical properties of CFRP did not change by electron beam irradiation up to 5000 Mrad. The degasing from CFRP under heat and vacuum increased with rising temperature. (Kako, I.)