Investigation of the Accelerated Ageing of Carbon-Epoxy Composites on their Mechanical Properties

Abstract In this work, carbon-epoxy composites obtained by an autoclave process were subjected to accelerated ageing in controlled conditions of temperature, water and UV radiation. Each composite was exposed to salt water at 60°C or UV radiation at 60°C over a period of 6 months. Changes within the composites were evaluated by mass and density variation, mechanical testing and also in terms of camouflage. Results did not show significant changes in mass loss or density, and it was found that mechanical properties had decreased slightly. The biggest change is in camouflage. It was observed that during accelerated ageing, the composites’ reemission coefficient becomes too high and composites lose camouflage properties.