Effects of water absorption and osmotic degradation on long‐term behavior of glass fiber reinforced polyester

Abstract Glass fiber reinforced polyester composites, with gelcoat, are widely used as structural materials for hulls, pools, pipes, and tanks in aggressive environments, despite the lack of knowledge concerning their resistance to water in the long term. In addition, these materials may be damaged through an osmotic process, especially when immersed in water, as are boat hulls, and this phenomenon can lead to a delamination of the gelcoat and of the laminate plies. The aim of this experimental study is to evaluate the mechanical characteristics with time of orthotropic laminates subjected to accelerated tests of humid aging. The evolution of the properties with water absorption is followed by a nondestructive test procedure based on vibrational mode analysis. The results are additionally confirmed by quasi‐static bending and shear tests. It is shown that the main effects of water on the composite mechanical properties are the plasticization of the matrix an the osmotic delamination of the plies; on the other hand, gelcoat blistering had no influence on the durability. This paper highlights the need for and the complementarity of both nondestructive and destructive mechanical tests for studying the long‐term behavior of composites in marine environments.