A Modified Silane Treatment for Superior Hydrolytic Stability of Glass Reinforced Composites

A silicon tetrachloride-modified silane treatment of E-glass particles and fibers improved the hydrolytic stability of the glass reinforced composites by creating a water-resistant silane copolymer interphase of approximately 30 Angstroms thickness. SEM observation of E-glass particulate reinforced dimethacrylate-based resin composites showed that strong interfacial adhesion was maintained even under 72 hours of exposure to boiling water, while interfacial adhesion in the conventionally-treated materials was destroyed under the same conditions. Interfacial fracture energy was measured using an embedded single fiber fragmentation test. In the initial dry state, no interfacial debonding was observed in either the modified or conventionally-treated microcomposites, indicating strong interfacial adhesion in both cases. However, after exposure to boiling water for 24 hours, debonding occurred in both cases, with interfacial fracture energies of 281 J/m² and 54 J/m² for the modified and conventionally-treated interfaces, respectively. The improvement in hydrolytic stability of the interface is believed to be caused by a higher degree of crosslinking in the silane layer and the replacement of at least some of the hydroxyl groups on the glass surface by covalent O—Si—O bonds.