On the Analysis of Hygrothermal Effect on Fatigue Behavior of PPS/Carbon Fiber Composite

The continued growth in the use of polymer composites in structural components in the aerospace industry is due primarily to the design flexibility, excellent mechanical properties and low density, combined with the high values of mechanical strength and stiffness and low incidence of corrosion, with which these structures meet several performance requirements when in service. Components with structural requirements may have their mechanical properties affected when exposed to harsh environments such as high temperature and humidity, and should be carefully evaluated before being put into service. The aim of the present work is to evaluate the hygrothermal effect on the fatigue resistance of thermoplastic PPS/carbon fiber composite. These laminates were obtained from TenCate Company, which provides composite laminates to Airbus and Embraer. PPS/carbon fibers composites exhibited increased tensile strength under hygrothermal conditioning due to plasticization of the polymer matrix, with the fracture toughness being also increased. In contrast, the hygrothermal conditioning did not alter significantly the behavior of fatigue life of laminates from PPS/carbon fiber composite.