Radial pressure and thickness effects on the moisture diffusion in hollow composite cylinders

Abstract According to the literature, the mechanical states (external or internal) have an effect on the penetration of moisture into a composite material through affecting both its main controlling parameters: the diffusion coefficient and the maximum moisture absorption capacity. In this article, a scale transition analysis is performed to investigate the coupled effect of the external/internal mechanical states, experienced by epoxy resin composite structures, on the moisture penetration process. The scale transition approach provides relations linking the plies strains to those of their constituents and homogenization procedures enabling to estimate the evolution of the plies diffusion parameters, from those of the epoxy, at any step of the moisture diffusion process. This work underlines the effects induced by the thickness of the considered composite structure. The respective contributions of the internal and external loads (in the case of a radial pressure, only) on the transient and permanent stages of the diffusion process are also investigated. POLYM. COMPOS., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers