A comparison of flexural properties of aramid reinforced pultrusions having constant fiber volume and varied matrices, pretreatments, and postcures

Aramid reinforcement composite materials of equal fiber volume having varied polymer thermoset matrices have been pultruded and flexurally tested to failure. The objective was to improve flexural properties of aramid reinforced pultrusions. Pultrusions of both sized and unsized aramid fiber with four different resin systems were compared to determine the effects of sizing compounds and post-thermal treatments on the flexural strength as an indication of fiber wettability and fiber-to-resin interface bonding. Improvements in flexural strength as the result of pretreatments with sizing solutions used in this study were marginal. The most significant improvements in flexural properties were the results of postcuring. Overall improvements ranged from a low 39,647 Psi(273 Mpa) to a high of 80,390 Psi(554 Mpa), or 103 percent. The fact that post-thermal treatments improved the flexural properties of the four pultrusions indicates that a full cure did not occur in either resin system during the pultrusion process. The increased flexural strengths of the polyester and vinyl ester pultrusions were the most surprising. Based on data presented, the most promising resin system of the four examined (VE 8300, Aropol 7430, Epon 9302, and Epon 9310) for Kevlar reinforced pultrusion is Epon 9310 epoxy.