Stress‐rupture lifetime of a poly(ethylene terephthalate)/glass composite under an alkaline solution environment

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Abstract
Stress corrosion testing of injection molded, short‐fiber (E‐glass) reinforced poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), in a 10 weight percent NaOH solution, indicated that a PET‐matrix degradation mechanism was operating. This is in direct contrast to the fiber degradation observed in acidic (10 weight percent HCl solution) stress corrosion tests on this material. Stress‐rupture lifetime in the alkaline solution was shorter than that in the acidic solution, suggesting that the alkaline attack on the PET matrix is more aggressive than the acidic attack on the E‐glass fibers. In both environments, fiber/matrix interface deterioration was also observed. Alkaline lifetime versus toughness behavior has been analyzed by established statistical methodology, using the empirical lifetime expression and the Weibull distribution function.