Simulated end-of-life reuse of composites from marine applications using thermal reshaping of seawater-aged, glass fibre-reinforced acrylic materials
Michael Noonan, Winifred Obande, Dipa Ray
Abstract
In this work, end-of-life reuse of continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites from marine applications has been simulated by thermally reshaping (reprocessing) seawater-aged materials. Specifically, resin-infused, V-shaped glass/acrylic composites were seawater-aged (60 °C; 170 h) and reprocessed in a heated hydraulic press (120 °C; 10 bar). Reprocessing promoted void collapse and increased short beam shear strengths. Unaged reprocessed materials retained 52 % and 57 % performance in flexural strength and modulus, (relative to virgin material), with corresponding retentions of 20 % and 62 % in the aged reprocessed materials, respectively. Ageing- and reprocessing-related flexural performance changes occurred due to mild matrix plasticisation and fibre misalignment, respectively.