Long-term durability of polymer matrix composites under hostile environments

Long-term durability of polymer-matrix composites (PMCs) in hostile environments is described. Characteristics of a stress-corrosion crack in glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP), creep fracture in unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) and predictions of a variable loading fatigue life in CFRP laminates are the main topics of this paper. To enhance the performance of the PMCs as structural materials, many improvements are achieved so far. Characterization of mechanical properties under the hostile environments is still need for the studies.