Carbon fiber-vinyl ester composite reinforcement of wood using the VARTM/SCRIMP fabrication process

Recent studies have proven that wood and wood-based materials reinforced with fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are promising materials for construction applications, especially for structural members. However, there are concerns about the long-term performance of carbon FRP-wood hybrid materials, the durability of carbon fiber reinforcement when subjected to environmental conditions and wood preservatives, as well as the carbon FRP-wood interface susceptibility to delamination. The objective of this paper is: (a) to characterize a carbon/vinyl ester composite for reinforcement of wood members based on material and interface performance properties; (b) to assess the suitability of the VARTM/SCRIMP process for wood reinforcement; and (c) to measure property retention after exposure to oil-borne wood preservative treatments. Vinyl ester resin produces a durable composite with properly sized carbon fibers and durable wood adhesive bonds when wood is treated with a hydroxymethyl resorcinol coupling agent. The carbon/vinyl ester-wood interface properties were superior to E-glass/vinyl ester-wood interface properties. The implemented VARTM/SCRIMP technology proved to be a manufacturing process with potential for producing carbon FRP-wood hybrid structural members resulting in a reinforcement with high fiber-to-resin ratio, minimum void content and a durable adhesive bond-to-wood substrates. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.