Degradation of graphite/polymer composites in seawater

Journal Article · Sun Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · Journal of Energy Resources Technology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2905910· OSTI ID:5322586

Tucker, W C ^[1]

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1. Dept. of Ocean Engineering, Graduate School of Oceanography, Narragansett, RI (US)

Glass-reinforced plastics have a substantial history of use in sea water. With the advent of high-performance graphite fibers offering greater stiffness than glass, some marine engineering applications may be implemented where glass was unsuitable. However, the nobility of graphite in the galvanic series makes it an extremely efficient cathode when coupled with metals in seawater. Degradation of the cathodic composite material is an unexpected result of the corrosion chemistry in natural seawater. Deep submergence of composite materials introduces another potential degradative mechanism in seawater due to an increase moisture uptake by damage-dependent mechanisms. In this paper other environmental exposure to sunlight, deep submergence and cyclic thermal changes which show potential for degradation of composites are discussed.

• OSTI ID: 5322586
• Journal Information: Journal of Energy Resources Technology; (United States), Vol. 113:4; ISSN 0195-0738
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
42 ENGINEERING
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
CORROSION RESISTANCE
PERFORMANCE
REINFORCED PLASTICS
SEAWATER
CORROSIVE EFFECTS
CATHODES
CATHODIC PROTECTION
CORROSION PROTECTION
ENGINEERING
FIBERS
GLASS
GRAPHITE
MATERIALS TESTING
POLYMERS
THERMAL CYCLING
CARBON
ELECTRODES
ELEMENTAL MINERALS
ELEMENTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MATERIALS
MINERALS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PLASTICS
REINFORCED MATERIALS
SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
TESTING
WATER
360604* - Materials- Corrosion
Erosion
& Degradation
423000 - Engineering- Marine Engineering- (1980-)