Output details
15 - General Engineering
University of Southampton
Hygrothermal ageing of plant oil based marine composites
Significance of output:
Plant oil based resins offer a renewable source to replace the hydrocarbon derived polyester resins used in typical boat building composite applications (e.g. glass fibre hulls). Such applications of course require good resistance to moisture uptake. This study has therefore assessed the mechanisms of moisture uptake in 2 plant oil based resins, and the ensuing effect on the mechanical properties of the resin in a glass-fibre composite. This work was supported by Sustainable Composites plc, Bioresin and the IMarEst and this study forms an important step in developing “green” composites for possible hull applications.