EFFECT OF HYGROTHERMAL ENVIRONMENTAL ON THE MOISTURE ABSORPTION OF FABRIC COMPOSITE (GLASS/EPOXY)

The comparison carried out between the values obtained of the characteristic parameters of the kinetics of water absorption by the hygrothermal test of conditioning carried to the laboratory and those given by Loos and Springer confirms the following principal remarks clearly : the coefficient of diffusion D and the maximum quantity of water retained with saturation M-m depend not only on the nature of material, of the temperature but also of the relative humidity rate and the maximal concentration of water at the saturation of the composite M-m becomes more significant beyond 60% of relative humidity. The approximate estimated calculation of the maximal concentration of water (matrix + interface) which admits a homogeneous diffusion phenomenon inside the material (D-f = 0) permitted to clearly show that the presence of fibres in a polymeric matrix decreases about 4 times the quantity of water absorbed by this matrix.