Research on the synergistic enhancement mechanism and durability of organic silicon in microwave-assisted nano functionalized GFRP reinforcement for marine engineering applications

This study aims to address the durability bottleneck issues faced by glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) reinforcement in extreme marine engineering environments, such as seawater erosion, chloride ion penetration, and interface aging. Through interdisciplinary innovative methods, the study systematically explores the pathway of microwave-assisted nanofunctionalization technology and the synergistic enhancement mechanism of organosilicon. Based on the concept of “material genetic engineering,” a full-chain research system integrating machine learning component optimization, multi-scale simulation, and experimental verification has been constructed. At the theoretical level, a multi-objective optimization algorithm was designed to successfully screen the organosilicon-modified nano SiO2/carbon nanotube composite system. Its synergistic parameters (such as interfacial bond energy ≥−2.8 J/m2) were verified through molecular dynamics simulations, which can effectively block water diffusion channels. The nano-functionalized layer induced by microwave-assisted treatment (thickness ∼50 nm) can improve interface toughness by more than 40% through phase-field simulation. In terms of the preparation process, the innovative use of microwave radiation coupled with organosilicon precursor impregnation technology achieves uniform coverage of the nano-modified layer on the surface of GFRP reinforcement (porosity <2%). Accelerated aging experiments have confirmed that this design extends the stress corrosion life of the material to more than three times that of traditional materials in simulated marine environments (3.5% NaCl solution, 60 °C). Multi-scale characterization (such as scanning electron microscopy/X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) reveals the formation of an interpenetrating network structure between organosilicon and nanofillers, enhancing the interfacial binding energy to −3.5 J/m2. At the same time, microwave fields promote a 25% increase in crosslinking density, significantly suppressing microcrack propagation. Thermal-wet mechanical coupling simulation shows that the optimized GFRP reinforcement reduces the corrosion rate by 55% and increases the interfacial delamination energy to 4.2 kJ/m2. The “processing–structure–durability” correlation model established in this study provides a new paradigm for the design of composite materials in marine engineering, and the research results show important application potential in strategic fields such as offshore structures and submarine cables.