Performance of Newly Developed Thermoplastic Resin for FRP Bars Compared with Vinyl-Ester Resin under Laboratory Accelerated Aging Testing
Publication: Journal of Composites for Construction
Volume 28, Issue 5
Abstract
The production of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites has predominantly relied on thermoset resins, such as polyester, vinyl ester, and epoxy. This study represents a pioneering effort in assessing the durability of a new thermoplastic resin for pultruded FRP rebars used in concrete applications. Given the emerging environmental and sustainability concerns—notably the increasing demand for recyclability—thermoplastic matrix composites offer distinct advantages. More reliable and cost-effective processing techniques involving in situ polymerization of a new liquid thermoplastic acrylic resin during manufacturing have recently been developed. The newly developed thermoplastic resin has been tailored for use in the pultrusion process. One significant advantage of the novel thermoplastic resin is its liquid reactive nature, which facilitates superior impregnation and fiber–matrix bonding, leading to notable enhancements in end-use properties—particularly durability and long-term performance such as fatigue and creep resistance—even under alkaline conditions. The objective of this study was to assess the durability performance of the newly developed thermoplastic resin compared with the most commonly used resin (vinyl ester) for pultrusion of FRP bars. Laboratory accelerated aging testing was conducted under water, saline, and alkaline environments at temperatures of 23°C and 40°C for durations of 1,000 and 3,000 h using dog-bone specimens. The specimens were subsequently analyzed with differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electronic microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and tensile tests. The results indicated that the physicomechanical and microstructural properties of the newly developed thermoplastic resin were not significantly affected by aging environments, performing similarly to vinyl-ester resin. The tensile strength retention was 95%‒98% after exposure to the various environments. Furthermore, one-way analysis of variance analysis revealed no significant difference in the tensile strength of specimens before and after exposure. The results of this study show the feasibility, efficiency, and long-term durability of the newly developed thermoplastic resin for pultruding FRP-reinforcing bars.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and codes generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
This research was conducted with funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) (ALLRP556942-20). The authors are grateful to ARKEMA S.A. (Colombes, France) and Pultrall, Inc. (Thetford Mines, Quebec, Canada) for donating the ELIUM C599 E thermoplastic resin and vinyl-ester thermoset resin (Derakane 411-350), respectively, and the technical staff of the materials laboratory in the Department of Civil and Building Engineering at the University of Sherbrooke for their technical assistance.
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Published In
Journal of Composites for Construction
Volume 28 • Issue 5 • October 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 27, 2023
Accepted: Apr 19, 2024
Published online: Jun 24, 2024
Published in print: Oct 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Nov 24, 2024
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