Experimental Investigation and Modeling of the Thermal Effect on the Mechanical Properties of Polyethylene-Terephthalate FRP Laminates

Abstract

Recent advancements in material sciences have led to the development of new fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) systems that, unlike traditional FRPs, are specifically tailored to have large fracture strains that are advantageous for external strengthening applications. One such system is polyethylene terephthalate (PET) FRP, which can attain a nominal fracture strain of 7%. In this work, the mechanical properties of PET laminates were investigated when exposed to temperatures ranging from 25°C to 125°C. Test results indicate that PET-FRP exhibits a nonlinear stress-strain response that could be divided into three phases with three moduli (E1, E2, and E3) and corresponding three tensile strengths (σ1, σ2, and σ3). The results also demonstrate how the aforementioned mechanical properties degrade around the glass transition temperature of the epoxy from so ft ening in the matrix. Interestingly, test results indicate that PETs exhibit an increase in rupture strain (from 9% to 14%) when the test temperature increases from 25°C to 125°C. To properly document these observations into design tools, temperature-dependent material models for moduli and tensile strengths are derived.