A study of the corrosion resistance of glass fibre reinforced polymers

Specific interactions between chemical environments (hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid and distilled water) and glass fibre cause stress corrosion cracking in the glass fibre surface. The etching of the glass fibre gives rise to an extraction process. Axial or spiral cracks can then be observed. These effects depend on the fibre diameter, the etching time and the chemical environment and cause a drop in tensile stresses. The glass fibre crumbles with increasing etching time.Strict etching procedures lead to definite extraction processes and crack structures in the glass fibres and will be discussed in connection with strength tests.In addition to investigations of individual elements, e.g. glass fibres, it is also possible that whole glass fibre reinforced composites are damaged during service under the influence of aggressive surrounding media. In such cases, circular or spiral-shaped cracks can also be observed preferentially in the glass fibre. The fibres can then no longer contribute to an increase in strength and the result is the untimely failure of the composite material.