About the influence of high temperature or fire testing conditions on the tensile behavior of carbon reinforced poly phenylene sulfide laminates

This study aims to investigate the thermo-mechanical coupling in carbon fibers reinforced Poly Phenylene Sulfide (PPS) laminates subjected to critical temperature conditions. In order to dissociate the physical phenomena (degradation/decomposition on the one hand and deformation/damage mechanisms on the other hand) at play in quasi-isotropic laminates (fiber-dominated mechanical behavior), homogenous and fire testing conditions (heterogenous) were considered with or without mechanical loading. X-Ray tomographic and fractographic analyses were conducted to identify the role played by porosities formation (resulting from thermally induced deformations and damages) on the structural bearing capabilities of C/PPS laminates to be used in high-temperature environments. Under high temperature conditions (homogenous temperature distribution), the retention of tensile properties is not well preserved as the axial stiffness and strength decrease of 50% and 75%, respectively. Under fire conditions (heterogenous temperature distribution), the degradation of tensile properties is more dramatic with an 80% decrease.