The preservation of physical and mechanical properties of glass-carbon composites under provocative biocontamination in cold climate conditions

A common practice for determining the safe service life of polymer composites is to assess their climatic resistance. This evaluation is based on experimental studies that examine the effects of aggressive climatic factors on the physical and mechanical properties of materials used in various climatic zones. This article presents the results of climatic aging tests conducted on glass-carbon plastic samples under extremely cold conditions. Microstructural analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and assessments of elastic-strength characteristics were used to evaluate the climatic and nutrient impacts on these polymer composites. The samples underwent two years of climatic exposure, during which provocative phenomena were introduced to investigate changes in their properties and structural features. As a result of the studies, a decrease in the tensile strength of a fiberglass (FG) by 57% and of the carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP) by 8% was observed. The obtained results are supported by studies of DMA, profilometry and open porosity. The findings regarding surface degradation, porosity, and DMA confirm the aging of the material in the surface layer, an increase in porosity, and changes in the degree of polymerization of the polymer matrix in layered plastics. Furthermore, the introduction of microorganisms significantly reduces the elastic-strength characteristics of the materials. The identified changes are confirmed by a decrease in the dynamic modulus of elasticity and an increase in the glass transition temperature. The results obtained regarding the influence of biogenic microorganisms on the aging processes of polymer composites, under simultaneous exposure to UV radiation and low temperatures, can be applied to address issues related to reducing the polymer aging.