Thermal Ageing of Carbon Fiber‐Reinforced Cyanate Ester Composites Under Inert and Oxidative Environment

This work investigates the effect of thermal ageing under two different exposure environments on the mechanical and thermo‐mechanical properties of carbon fiber‐reinforced cyanate ester composites. A large test campaign was realized to this direction. Samples were manufactured by RTM technique and were subjected in isothermal exposure at 230⁰ C under two different gas environments: inert (nitrogen) and air at 1 atmosphere, for up to 30 days. Weight measurements followed by dynamic mechanical analysis as well as a series of mechanical tests were conducted at regular intervals during the ageing process. In addition, scanning electron microscopy was utilized to identify the exact degradation mechanisms that are active and dominant in the different ageing periods. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:E1388–E1396, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers