Improving durability of glass fiber reinforced polymer composites by incorporation of ZnO/OMMT nanoparticles subjected to UV radiation and hygrothermal aging

Glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites have high sensitivity to UV radiation, temperature, and moisture, and these factors lead to the decrease of mechanical properties. This study attempts to modify unsaturated polyester (UP) and vinylester (VE) resins with nano zinc oxide (ZnO) and organo-montmorillonite (OMMT), in order to improve UV radiation resistance and hygrothermal resistance. The nano ZnO/OMMT modified UP and VE based GFRP composites were subjected to UV radiation and hygrothermal aging at 30 °C, 50 °C and 60 °C (95% RH) for 90 days. Mass loss, moisture uptake, color change, flexural properties and short-beam-shear test were investigated. In comparison to unmodified GFRP specimens, ZnO/OMMT modifying decreased the mass loss, the color change, saturation moisture uptake, and the coefficient of diffusion. After exposure in UV radiation for 90 days, the flexural strength and interlaminar shear strength of nano modified GFRP composites increased by 23.5% and 27.8% compared with those of the unmodified GFRP composites. Nano ZnO/OMMT modifying also increased the flexural strength and interlaminar shear strength by 26.5% and 27.2% in hygrothermal condition at 60 °C. Furthermore, based on the change of mechanical properties and Arrhenius rate model, a prediction model was proposed to predict the life of nano modified FRP composites.