The Stress-Rupture Behaviour of GRP Laminates in Aqueous Environments

Abstract

To remedy the lack of soundly based design data which has hindered the use of GRP for power station cooling water systems, an extensive programme of creep-rupture testing is in progress at Bath University, funded jointly by CEGB and Scott Bader Co. Ltd.

The paper describes the background and aims of the work and gives details of the test programme and equipment, including a cell for single-sided exposure of a tensile testpiece. The behaviour of a polyester\csm\w.r. laminate in seawater is shown to be little affected by temperature in the range 20–60°C. Seawater and distilled water are indistinguishable in their effects on fully immersed laminates at 40°C. The influence of testpiece width and reinforcement pattern are discussed.