Abstract
The purpose of this research study was to investigate the efficacy of alkaline treatments on restoring mechanical strength of thermally damaged glass fibres for potential reuse as reinforcement material. Here, E-glass fibres were heat treated in a furnace at 450°C for 25 minutes in order to simulate the harsh thermal conditions required for the recycling of glass fibre thermosetting composites. Following heat conditioning, fibres were treated with three different alkaline solutions: sodium hydroxide (NaOH), potassium hydroxide (KOH) and lithium hydroxide (LiOH). Results showed little effect of LiOH solution, however both NaOH and KOH were proved to be successful in regenerating strength of fibres heat treated at 450°C. It is believed these alkaline treatments might improve fibre strength by etching away surface defects. Factors such as concentration of alkali and treatment time were investigated in order to find optimum conditions for strength regeneration.
| Original language | English |
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| Title of host publication | ECCM 2016 - Proceeding of the 17th European Conference on Composite Materials |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2016 |
| Event | 17th European Conference on Composite Materials, ECCM 2016 - Munich, Germany Duration: 26 Jun 2016 → 30 Jun 2016 |
Conference
| Conference | 17th European Conference on Composite Materials, ECCM 2016 |
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| Country/Territory | Germany |
| City | Munich |
| Period | 26/06/16 → 30/06/16 |
Keywords
- chemical treatment
- etching
- glass fibres
- recycling
- strength
- composite materials
- surface defects