Study on Thermal Degradation Behavior of Unidirectional Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Composite Due to Isothermal Environment

고온 등온환경하의 탄소섬유/에폭시 단일방향 복합재료의 열화 예측모델 개발

Weight loss experiments have been performed for unidirectional carbon fiber/epoxy laminates under both isothermal and cyclic thermal conditions. It was found that weight losses were the result of both specimen-geometry dependent oxidative degradation and volumetric geometry dependent thermal degradation. Thermal degradation was found to play a major role in the overall weight loss process, and photomicrographs of cross-sectioned, aged specimens confirmed this fact. A method to predict the effect of isothermal environment on the weight loss was introduced and found to be in good agreement with experimental data at temperatures near Tg (glass transition temperature).