Behaviours of glass fibre/unsaturated polyester composites under seawater environment

Glass fibre reinforced unsaturated polyester laminates were fabricated by using the VARI (vacuum assisted resin infusion) technique. Laminates were immersed in the artificial seawater for various periods. Moisture absorption would increase the weight of the specimen, soluble elements extraction may decrease the weight of the material. The tensile and bending strength of the seawater treated samples showed a decreased trend with prolonged treating time implying the degradation of the composites. The SEM photograph of the broken section after the treatment illustrated serious corrosion of the interface.