Long Chopped Glass Fiber Reinforced Low-Density Unsaturated Polyester Resin under Different Initiation

Long chopped glass fiber reinforced low-density unsaturated polyester resin (LCGFR-LDUPR) composite materials with light weight and excellent mechanical properties were prepared. It was proved that long chopped glass fiber, which was in length of 15.0 mm and chopped from ER4800-T718 plied yarn, was suitable for the preparation of LCGFR-LDUPR composite samples. With the coexistence of 1.50 parts per hundred of resin (phr) of methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP-II) and 0.05 phr of cobalt naphthenate, optimal preparation parameters were obtained, which were 20.00 phr of long chopped glass fiber, 2.50 phr of NH4HCO3, at a curing temperature of 58.0 degrees C. The lowest dosage of activated radicals produced by MEKP-II and cobalt naphthenate enabled the lower curing exothermic enthalpy and the slowest crosslinking for unsaturated polyester resin to carry out, resulting in a higher curing degree of resin. It was conducive to the formation, diffusion, and distribution of bubbles in uniform size, and also to the constitution of ideal three-dimensional framework of long glass fibers in the cured sample, which resulted in the LCGFR-LDUPR composite sample presenting the apparent density (rho) of 0.68 +/- 0.02 g/cm(3), the compression strength (P) of 35.36 +/- 0.38 MPa, and the highest specific compressive strength (P-s) of 52.00 +/- 0.74 MPa/g.cm(3). The work carried out an ideal three-dimensional framework of long chopped glass fiber in the reinforcement to low-density unsaturated polyester resin composite samples. It also presented the proper initiator/accelerator system of the lower curing exothermic enthalpy and the slowest crosslinking for unsaturated polyester resin.

Automated summary

This study developed lightweight and high-performance composite materials by reinforcing low-density unsaturated polyester resin with long chopped glass fibers. The optimal preparation parameters were identified, leading to improved mechanical properties and uniform bubble distribution in the cured samples.