Thermal Aging Effects on the Mechanical Behavior of Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Polyphenylene Sulfide Composites

In this article, the thermal aging behavior of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) composites, reinforced by 20% glass fibers (GFs), in thermal aging temperatures ranging from 85 to 145 °C was studied. Tensile and bending properties and color changes in the thermally aged samples were investigated. The results showed that thermal aging at this temperature range resulted in the degradation of mechanical properties. Both the tensile and flexural strength of the GF/PPS composites were significantly reduced after thermal aging at 145 °C. Decreased strength and brittle fracture were observed because thermal aging at high temperatures resulted in the deterioration of the interfaces between the GFs and PPS matrix. The degradation of the mechanical properties of the composite samples can be reflected by the color change, which means that the mechanical properties of the GF/PPS composite samples under thermal aging are predictable using color change analysis.