The effect of time and temperature on flexural creep and fatigue strength of a silica particle filled epoxy resin

Composite materials that use an epoxy resin as a matrix resins have superior mechanical properties over standard structural materials, but these materials exhibit time and temperature behavior when used for long periods and under high temperatures. This time and temperature behavior has not been fully explained. The purpose of this paper is to further describe this time and temperature behavior, increasing the reliability of this class of composite materials. The time and temperature dependence of flexural strength was examined by creep and fatigue testing. Flexural creep tests were carried out at various temperatures below the glass transition temperature. Flexural fatigue tests were carried out at various stress ratios, temperatures below the glass transition temperature and 2 frequencies. The time-temperature superposition principle held for the flexural creep strength of this material. A method to predict flexural creep strength based on the static strength master curve and the cumulative damage law is proposed. When the fatigue frequency was decreased while temperature and stress ratio are held constant the flexural fatigue strength decreases. The time-temperature superposition principle was also found to hold for the flexural fatigue strength with respect to frequency. (C) 1999 Kluwer Academic Publishers.