Ageing of particulate-filled epoxy resin under hygrothermal conditions

This paper investigated the physical, mechanical, thermo-mechanical and microstructural properties of an epoxy-based resin system containing fire retardant and fly-ash under accelerated hygrothermal ageing. The particulate-filled epoxy resin was conditioned for 1000, 2000 and 3000 h at temperatures up to 60 degrees C and a relative humidity of 98%. Inclusion of fillers was found to decrease the moisture absorption, increase the glass transition temperature and slight reduce the mechanical properties after hygrothermal conditioning. The prediction using the Arrhenius model suggested that the particulate-filled epoxy resin will retain at least 70% of its strength after 100 years of service in the Australian environment. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.