The effect of aging by immersion in water at 60°C on polyester and vinylester resins, unreinforced and reinforced with glass fibers, was investigated. Changes in weight, glass transition temperature, secondary relaxations, and storage modulus, as well as loss modulus were measured, and the environmental effects on these parameters were assessed. Moreover, the chemical structure changes of the materials during aging were studied by the use of IR spectra. The evolution of the physico‐chemical and the mechanical properties as a function of the aging time was established. The results indicate the importance of the matrix morphology, the structure regularity, the presence of the fibers on the water diffusion mechanisms, and the thermomechanical properties through gravimetric changes, DSC, DMA and IR experiments.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.