Performance of surface-modified glass fiber/matrix under coupled humid environments and cyclic loading: An atomistic investigation
Fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs) tend to absorb water under long-term exposure, weakening the fiber/matrix interface and reducing mechanical properties. To improve their long-term performance, coupling agents are often used to modify the fiber surface and enhance interfacial bonding. Molecular dynam...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Journal of Materials Research and Technology |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425007549 |
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| author | Yize Li Soon Yee Wong Fang Yenn Teo Zechuan Yu Li Sun Renyuan Qin Yu Zheng |
| author_facet | Yize Li Soon Yee Wong Fang Yenn Teo Zechuan Yu Li Sun Renyuan Qin Yu Zheng |
| author_sort | Yize Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs) tend to absorb water under long-term exposure, weakening the fiber/matrix interface and reducing mechanical properties. To improve their long-term performance, coupling agents are often used to modify the fiber surface and enhance interfacial bonding. Molecular dynamics simulations were employed to investigate the role of γ-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (KH550) on the interfacial behavior of glass FRP composite under cyclic loading and moisture attack. Results showe that water molecules diffuse to the fiber/resin interface during fatigue, while fewer water molecules accumulate at the interface of modified glass fiber/epoxy compared to pristine glass fiber/epoxy interface by 33%. Due to the presence of hydrophobic propyl groups on the coupling agent, water molecules were resisted from the interface, and the hydrophilic hydroxyl groups in KH550 formed hydrogen bonds with water molecules, which further reduce interface damage from moisture attack. Modified glass fiber/resin interfaces exhibited 31% and 44% higher mean stress in dry and wet conditions, respectively, indicating improved bonding energy and stress resistance during fatigue simulations. These findings provide molecular-level insights into the fatigue behavior of composites in humid environments and suggest potential strategies to improve the durability of FRP composites. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c764cf7e32cb4dc186fb2069506800f4 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2238-7854 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Materials Research and Technology |
| spelling | doaj-art-c764cf7e32cb4dc186fb2069506800f42025-08-20T02:25:35ZengElsevierJournal of Materials Research and Technology2238-78542025-05-01362772278410.1016/j.jmrt.2025.03.244Performance of surface-modified glass fiber/matrix under coupled humid environments and cyclic loading: An atomistic investigationYize Li0Soon Yee Wong1Fang Yenn Teo2Zechuan Yu3Li Sun4Renyuan Qin5Yu Zheng6Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Intelligent Disaster Prevention and Emergency Technologies for Urban Lifeline Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, 523000, China; Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor, MalaysiaDepartment of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor, MalaysiaDepartment of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor, MalaysiaSchool of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang, ChinaGuangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Intelligent Disaster Prevention and Emergency Technologies for Urban Lifeline Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, 523000, China; Corresponding author.Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Intelligent Disaster Prevention and Emergency Technologies for Urban Lifeline Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, 523000, China; Corresponding author.Fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs) tend to absorb water under long-term exposure, weakening the fiber/matrix interface and reducing mechanical properties. To improve their long-term performance, coupling agents are often used to modify the fiber surface and enhance interfacial bonding. Molecular dynamics simulations were employed to investigate the role of γ-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (KH550) on the interfacial behavior of glass FRP composite under cyclic loading and moisture attack. Results showe that water molecules diffuse to the fiber/resin interface during fatigue, while fewer water molecules accumulate at the interface of modified glass fiber/epoxy compared to pristine glass fiber/epoxy interface by 33%. Due to the presence of hydrophobic propyl groups on the coupling agent, water molecules were resisted from the interface, and the hydrophilic hydroxyl groups in KH550 formed hydrogen bonds with water molecules, which further reduce interface damage from moisture attack. Modified glass fiber/resin interfaces exhibited 31% and 44% higher mean stress in dry and wet conditions, respectively, indicating improved bonding energy and stress resistance during fatigue simulations. These findings provide molecular-level insights into the fatigue behavior of composites in humid environments and suggest potential strategies to improve the durability of FRP composites.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425007549Glass fiber reinforced compositesInterfaceSurface-modificationMolecular dynamics simulations |
| spellingShingle | Yize Li Soon Yee Wong Fang Yenn Teo Zechuan Yu Li Sun Renyuan Qin Yu Zheng Performance of surface-modified glass fiber/matrix under coupled humid environments and cyclic loading: An atomistic investigation Journal of Materials Research and Technology Glass fiber reinforced composites Interface Surface-modification Molecular dynamics simulations |
| title | Performance of surface-modified glass fiber/matrix under coupled humid environments and cyclic loading: An atomistic investigation |
| title_full | Performance of surface-modified glass fiber/matrix under coupled humid environments and cyclic loading: An atomistic investigation |
| title_fullStr | Performance of surface-modified glass fiber/matrix under coupled humid environments and cyclic loading: An atomistic investigation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Performance of surface-modified glass fiber/matrix under coupled humid environments and cyclic loading: An atomistic investigation |
| title_short | Performance of surface-modified glass fiber/matrix under coupled humid environments and cyclic loading: An atomistic investigation |
| title_sort | performance of surface modified glass fiber matrix under coupled humid environments and cyclic loading an atomistic investigation |
| topic | Glass fiber reinforced composites Interface Surface-modification Molecular dynamics simulations |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425007549 |
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