Date of Award

1-1-2014

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

M.S.

Organizational Unit

Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science, Mechanical and Materials Engineering

First Advisor

Maciej Kumosa, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Yun-Bo Yi

Third Advisor

Jasiuk Iwona

Fourth Advisor

Ali Azadani

Fifth Advisor

Paul Predecki

Sixth Advisor

Barry Zink

Keywords

Acid, Condensation, Degradation, Polymer composites, UV, Ultraviolet

Abstract

Polymer matrix composites reinforced with either E glass or ECR glass fibers-reinforced are used in a variety of high voltage electrical applications because of their advantages like lower weight and cost. However, they can be damaged by aggressive in-service conditions such as high temperature, ultraviolet radiation, moisture, ozone and corrosive environments. Different degradation mechanisms can develop in high voltage PMCs under those extreme environments, which, in turn, can affect the long term structural durability of the composites. A set of PMCs reinforced with ECR-glass and E-glass fibers embedded in four different resins has been investigated in this study. In addition, two PMC systems with surface coatings were also tested. The composites were supplied to the project by a US high voltage equipment manufacturer. The composites were subjected in four different tests to the individual and combined effects of UV radiation, elevated temperature, moisture, and nitric acid solutions. The surface degradation of the composites was subsequently analyzed using optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques are used to analyze chemical structure of the composites.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Tianyi Lu

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

en

File Size

136 p.

Discipline

Materials Science, Molecular chemistry

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