Degradation compositional effect

It is critical that surface treatment conditions be optimized to composite properties since overtreatment as well as undertreatment will degrade composite properties. Typically composite interlaminar shear strength (ILSS), in-plane shear, and transverse tension ate used to assess the effectiveness of surface treatment. More recently damage tolerance properties such as edge delamination strength, open hole compression, and compression after impact have become more important in evaluating the toughness of composite parts. 

Otaigbe, U.J. O.D. Adams. Bioabsorbable soy protein plastic composites Effect of polyphosphate fillers on water absorbtion and mechanical properties. /. Environ. Polym. Degrad. 1997b, 5, 199-208. 

DSC is used to study all of the types of reactions and transitions that can be studied using DTA, with the added advantage of accurate quantitative measurements of AH and ACp. Polymer chemists use DSC extensively to study percent crystallinity, crystallization rate, polymerization reaction kinetics, polymer degradation, the effect of composition on the glass transition temperature, heat capacity... 

Main applications of thermal analysis are (1) Soil and clay analysis (2) Determination of Glass transition (3) Compositional effects on glass transition (4) Heat capacity determination (5) Characterization of polymer blends (6) Study the effects of additives added to polymer (7) Polymer degradation analysis (8) Crystallinity and crystallization rate study and (9) Reaction kinetic studies. 

However, like all other polymers and polymeric composites, sandwich lay-ups absorb water and are therefore susceptible to hydrothermal property degradations. The effects of sea water and humidity, in combination with temperature, are therefore of particular interest for naval structures since they are subjected to sustained exposures to these environments. 

---