Effect of environmental conditions on the properties of plasma-pretreated glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin composites

The aim of the work was to further improve the properties of fiber composite materials through an additional plasma treatment integrated into the manufacturing process. For this purpose, glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite materials were manufactured using the vacuum infusion process. In some of the samples, the biaxial glass fiber fabric was pretreated with an air plasma generated in a dielectric barrier discharge. All samples were exposed to temperature changes, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and NaCl and KOH solutions and then examined for their mechanical properties. Compared to the reference samples, the plasma-treated samples showed slightly better mechanical properties. The strength values determined in tensile, compression, and bending tests were several percent higher. Thermal stress and UV radiation did not lead to a loss of mechanical performance. The effect of NaCl and KOH solutions deteriorated the mechanical properties. Although the comparatively better mechanical properties of the plasma-treated samples were retained after the different treatments, the stability of the composite material against aggressive environmental conditions was not significantly improved.